The Impact of Globalization How to Deal with it

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen:

Dawn of globalization! Our entering the WTO has quickened its steps! We've become the manufacturing powerhouse of the whole world! What will follow? Exploitation? Economic invasion? Confrontation? Hostility? Not really, provided that we handle the current situation wisely.

Confucius said, \"The gentleman is versed in what is moral. The small man is versed in what is profitable.\"

For the sake of economic reconstruction, however, we are chasing big bucks and materialism is now the name of the game. A rapid growth in GDP is accompanied by worrying moral negligence. Loyalty, sincerity, modesty and filial piety might be cadences of the past. We have actually been losing our traditions not because of direct threats or attacks from others.

Globalization is only a catalyst. You may be buying McDonald's ~franchise and making a big fortune. But you don't know, at the same time, you are not only changing your kid's palate but also teaching your families not to cook and becoming slack in our time-honored culinary art.

There is no one escaping it: globalization is marked by sophisticated advanced technology and cheap, accessible communication methods. But ever since the May Fourth Movement, isn't it what we have been clamoring for? But what we do not realize is that, coming from the west, it is more than just Mr. Democracy and Science, Mr. Individualism has also stealthily crept in. Being influenced by it, we're becoming more self-centered and selfish.

Paradoxically, however, our traditional culture and values teach us, to a certain extent, to start with individualism. How can you rule a country, administer a government or even maintain a family without being able to manage yourself? So globalization is a golden opportunity for self-evaluation. It's outrageously arrogant to think that we are the best in the world. Even if we are, we still have to be humble. This is the Chinese way.

And let me talk about my experience in my hometown Hong Kong and other two international examples. British colonial rule turned Hong Kong into a multicultural metropolis, basking in Chinese and western cultures. Our preeminent need now is to find further sustenance from our mother culture to bolster a stronger local identity. Our government, so, adopted an expeditions language policy to enforce Cantonese as

the medium of instruction in secondary schools, and Putonghua is expected to take its place in long-term. And for Japan, you see, her successful Meiji modernization conserved her traditional values, and at the same time seen assimilating Western cultures. The French, on the other hand, who are notoriously proud of their, you know, national, ethnic endowments are trying with all their might to fend off Americanism brought about by globalization. And let's face it. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

My proposition is to adopt a more proactive approach: we can '~ ~serve the ball. For MacDonald dilation, we can offer \"dimsumisation\"...To counter Disneyland, how about a \"Chinese Opera Theme Park\"? Don't forget we are now a major player in the New World Order. Zhang You, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Lee An, John Woo, Jackie Chan have already made their presence felt in world cinemas. Every day, in every comer of the world, non-Chinese people are practicing \"Tai Chi\" and \"Kung Fu\". Sinology is a hot topic in major universities. And countless examples... Endowed with such excellent traditions spanning more than 5000 years, we have abundant cultural resources to offer. If we have learnt a thing or two from our British friends in brand naming theirs as a \"Cultural, Creative Industry\we can export ours to the entire world! So a new, reengineered cultural policy is the answer.

Finally, let's not forget: we university students are well educated to become the model for all to emulate. It's our responsibility to uphold our traditional values. To return to Confucius, \"A righteous man would never give up his righteousness for survival, but die for righteousness.\" This is no easy task, but it's our challenging, glorious fate.

Thank you.