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By Tom Watkins If you thought the Beijing Olym-


pics in 2008 was phenomenal, to use an old phrase, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!


The Shanghai World Expo, or


World’s Fair, has the potential to make the 2008 Beijing Olympics look like a tea party. With more than 180 nations participating, Shanghai Exposition 2010 promises to attract people from all over the world, focus- ing on the theme “Better City, Better Life.”


World expositions are galleries


of human inspirations, ideas and ideals. It started May 1 and continues to Oct. 31. An estimated 70 million people worldwide will witness a dis- play of urban civilization, exchange experiences of urban development, discuss what constitutes successful cities and explore new approaches to human habitat, lifestyle and working conditions in the new century.


The fact that China chose the


theme “Better City, Better Life” bodes well for the planet. It has been reported that today, for the first time in history, more than half the world’s people live in cities. By 2050 that figure will rise to 70 percent. Imag- ine adding the equivalent of seven New York Cities to the planet every year and you can begin to grasp the change taking place.


So what, you may ask, does Chi-


na’s World Expo have to do with Michigan? In this globally connected world where ideas, jobs, pollution and public health epidemics can and do move around the world effortless- ly, I say, everything. Remember the old song lyrics, “The toe bone’s con- nected to the heel bone, the heel bone’s connected to the foot bone, ...”? Clearly, we are connected. What happens in China does not stay in China.


If we want a sustainable planet we


are going to have to get a lot smarter about how our cities operate. From recreation, health care and transpor- tation systems to education, sewage, energy and public safety, new, more creative responses have to be devel- oped and implemented. We must ask hard questions. How will innovation and technology help us develop liv- able environments? How must mul- tiple organizations collaborate in our cities’ governance to maximize resources and solve problems? The technology and people skills needed to manage and lead these changes are only going to intensify.


I have watched these challenges


play out all across Michigan and other American cities, large and small.


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


August 4-10, 2010


Page A-5


China’s World Fair: Lessons to learn to create a better city Detroit should seize opportunities in China


workers, engineers, scientists and marketing professionals to help de- velop innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of people of China — one-fifth of the world’s population — by “addressing megatrends such as renewable energy, climate protec- tion, water conservation and urban- ization.”


The American goal at the Shang-


hai World Expo is to “demonstrate that America is a place of opportu- nity where those who seek to change the world for the better will always thrive and prosper.” Clearly, with a huge population and a continuously growing economy, China promises to be the mother lode of 21st century commerce.


China, eyes wide open


Shanghai alone, with a popula- Tom Watkins Why do we treat our cities as trash


dumps, discarding people, buildings and infrastructure like cheap unre- cycled plastic, even as the Shanghai Expo’s motto is, “Keeping in mind the next 60 years’ development while preparing for the next six months”? All this from a country that has only recently opened to the world.


Secretary of State Hillary Clinton


said, “The Shanghai Expo offers an unprecedented opportunity for U.S. companies and organizations to hoist their flags in one of the most impor- tant centers of world commerce and cultural exchange. The U.S. presence at the expo will showcase American business, culture and values in Chi- na’s most dynamic city and foster an even stronger friendship between the American and Chinese peoples.”


The U.S. Pavilion, costing more


than $61 million raised by the private sector with no government money expended, is built on four thematic pillars: Sustainability, Teamwork, Health and the Chinese Community in America. GM and Dow, along with nearly every other major U.S. cor- poration, are helping sponsor this international extravaganza, billed as the largest World Expo ever.


Dow Corning recently announced


the creation of a new China Business and Technology Center in Zhangji- ang, China. Tom Cook, corporate vice president and Northeast Asia/ Greater China Operations president, hopes the company’s effort will “spur innovation and represent yet another major milestone in our growth in China.”


The Dow Center will be staffed by hundreds of 21st century knowledge


tion of 18 million, is definitely worth seeing. Imagine everyone in Michi- gan, times two, living in an area the size of Wayne County and you only begin to come to grips with the sheer size and density of this city. Shang- hai, a world-class international city, offers an extremely high English lit- eracy rate, fabulous transportation systems, some of the world’s most modern and historic architecture and yet, right around many corners, you may feel as if you have stepped back in time.


A little over 60 years ago, on Oct.


1, 1949, Mao Zedong, chairman of the Central People’s Government, stood at Tiananmen Square in the capital city of Beijing and proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The world has not been the same since.


I recall my first visit to Shanghai


in 1989, looking across the Huangpu River to Pudong with a view of low buildings and rice paddies, to what is now a booming metro area with three times the number of skyscrapers as Manhattan.


If you have traveled to China you


may have seen through the crowds and pollution to find that a sleeping giant has been awakened. And it’s im- possible to understand world events without first understanding China. The lessons in China’s rise — both its mistakes and successes — are those from which Michigan and the world can learn and, more important- ly, benefit. The expo provides just the forum for doing that.


The developing world, especially


BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), is where the auto action will be in the 21st century. In 2009, for the first time ever, China sur-


passed the U.S. in car production. While Ford Motor Co. is in the pro- cess of building yet another plant in China, GM credits profits from its Chinese operations for keeping it out of an even worse financial condition.


While many in the West might


focus on China as a communist or socialist stronghold, they overlook the fact that its 60-year communist rule is a mere blip on the radar of a 5,000-year history, rich in culture and education. Many who have been to the China of today describe a pal- pable capitalistic and entrepreneur- ial spirit.


Deng, the de facto leader of China


after the death of Mao in the mid-’70s, set into motion most massive eco- nomic, social and political tsunami in the history of man — a true awak- ening of China. He began the pro- cess that has lifted more people out of poverty than any other nation in the world with his vision of a modern nation on display for the world to see.


Even now the Chinese waves that


Deng unleashed are pounding the shores of Michigan and lapping at every state and nation in the world. Breaking away from the Maoist ideological straightjacket, Deng de- termined that common sense and flexibility rather than rigid political ideology was the way forward for his country’s future.


His actions unleashed the Chi-


nese people’s spirit and channeled their energy into the world of indus- trial growth and international trade. He also began the process that has created a crisis in pollution and ex- acerbated financial inequities — both of which need to be addressed to sus- tain the gains made so far. His suc- cesses are many yet, ironically, they also represent many of the challeng- es on display at the Shanghai World Expo.


Michigan connection China-born Michigan resident


Koralo Chen, owner of Motowntravel and author of a picture book, “Pure Michigan,” written in Mandarin and English, travels often between the two countries. He visited the Shang- hai Expo site and said, “China con- tinues to explode on the world stage and this expo will be a kaleidoscope of excitement, knowledge, innova- tion and sharing of Chinese and world culture. It is a must-see extrav- aganza.” He concludes that “My only disappointment is the great state of Michigan is not taking advantage of this global event to promote our mag- nificent state.”


Those of us who have studied


and traveled throughout China see a deep reservoir of opportunity and hope that our own elected leaders, like Deng Xiaoping, might shake off the ideological anchors holding us back and find ways to make sure that China’s rise does not come at our demise.


Sadly, Michigan has no economic


plan that taps into this rising Chi- nese vein of economic gain. (See “China Bridge: Stop whining and start building” in the Dome archives, Sep- tember, 2009). Oakland and Wayne County executives L. Brooks Pat- terson and Robert Ficano, and Paul Gieleghem, chairman of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, continue to seek ways to build eco- nomic, cultural, educational and people-to-people bridges with China, but they can only benefit from lead- ership from the highest level of state government.


So far away, so close to home


Delta/Northwest Airlines now


offers a direct, nonstop flight to Shanghai for a reasonable price. If you are going to travel across the world to attend the Shanghai World Expo, take the time to travel to Bei- jing as well. See the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall. Go to Xian and see the famed Terra Cotta War- riors and the Ming Tomb or travel to Hunan Province and see the Zhangji- ajie landscape where the stunning mountain shots in the blockbuster movie, “Avatar,” were filmed.


There is too much to see in just


one trip but it might be the trip of a lifetime and offer a deeper under- standing of the fascinating Chinese culture and its people and reinforce why Michigan and America need to continue to invest in innovative, cre- ative, entrepreneurial education that make us competitive on the world stage.


Once again, the Chinese promise


to showcase how far they have come in the last 30 years by hosting the World Expo in Shanghai. Their motto “Better City, Better Life,” is some- thing we can only hope and plan to emulate.


Tom Watkins has traveled exten-


sively and written numerous articles about China over the last 20 years. He is a former Michigan state su- perintendent of schools, 2001-2005, and former president and CEO of the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Fla., 1996-2001. Read more of Watkins at www.domemagazine. com.


Join the Team!


DPS students and parents: Don’t miss the Back-to-School Literacy Training Camp


Aug. 9–13, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Detroit Federation of Teachers office 2875 W. Grand Blvd.


This FREE camp is sponsored by:


Detroit Federation of Teachers Detroit Association of Educational Office Employees Detroit Federation of Paraprofessionals


Our coaches, dedicated and talented member of Detroit’s school employee unions, have career-winning records with students in Detroit Public Schools!


Special guest motivational coach: Member of the NFL Players Association


Detroit Public Schools students grades 4–7 are invited to work with coaches to prepare for the big game—the MEAP test scheduled for the second week of school.


Parents can register their students, and Detroit community groups and businesses can donate supplies and materials, by calling 313/832-1275 or visiting www.astrongerdetroitforourkids.com.


Camp is FREE and includes: lunches and snacks, use of computers, back-to-school supplies and prizes!


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