Geshe Michael Roach and Dr. Eric Wu are on a mission with the release of their new book. In the pages of China Love You: The Death of Global Competition, they tackle detailing the nuts and bolts leading to the implementation of a new, Asian culturally-influenced economic philosophy – borne out of their own relationship on a business and personal level. Roach, an American, and Wu, a Chinese national, adopt a certain conversational style for the book whilst presenting this. The style serves to remind the audience about the humanistic aspects of the philosophy they’re promoting, rather than solely operating from a gains and overtly capitalistic, if postmodern, set of standing points.
GESHE MICHAEL ROACH: https://geshemichaelroach.com/
DR. ERIC WU: https://ceoworld.biz/author/dr-eric-wu/
“Now, in the cold weather of international tension, it is more important than ever before that we Americans and Chinese try to understand more about each other. This book is a great way for all of us to do this—quickly, easily, and yet deeply,” Roach and Wu introduce the topicalities in the second edition’s preface. This grim but honest proclamation is then juxtaposed by the following. “Not long ago the two of us, Dr Eric Wu and Geshe Michael Roach—Chinese and American—were sitting at Cricket’s Café, a tiny coffee shop in the small town of Rimrock, Arizona, in the western USA. Michael often has business meetings there, because the café has such as friendly atmosphere and is so close to his home. It is also the only place in all of Rimrock where you can get a coffee and breakfast in the morning!” They continue with the following, emotionally-speaking a perfect articulation of the soul and the spine of the read.
“We’ve seen how tens of millions of Chinese people may share the same family name, whereas in America the same number of people may have many thousands of different names. This difference between our two countries comes in part from of a difference in how we see the role of the individual in a family, or a company or country. If we can understand how each of us feel about the place of an individual in a group, we can go a long way in understanding each other; and thus prevent mistaken judgments or misunderstandings,” Roach and Wu write. This paves the way to their articulation of their new mindset when it comes to business – and hence, a potential reexamination of the potential for relationships between America and China as evolving and semi-amorphous superpowers.
“American culture places a big emphasis on the individual— on what a single determined person can do…For thousands of years of Chinese history, a very big population has had to live together in harmony upon a relatively small piece of land. Over the centuries our culture has developed into one where the individual must not pursue their own selfish aims, at the expense of the group…Creativity in China and America is tied to this same distinction between individualism and groupism…the restrictions on our behavior (are) demanded by Chinese tradition—the connection between generations—(that) can impede creativity, but…also protect the larger world, the longer history to come.”
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/China-Love-Geshe-Michael-Roach/dp/0692794271
In essence, through this kind of presentation, Roach and Wu are able to pick each other’s brains – sampling the elements and coming up with radical and thoughtful solutions. It’s inspiring to see, particularly in a period of time where division at home still proves extreme.
Cyrus Rhodes
