Yanwen’s blog

1/4/2025

Last year, shortly after China's Singles’ Day (11/11), I came across an article about Chinese young consumers. It intrigued me and made me want to write something, but November is always a busy month for me, with preparations for overseas trips taking priority.

From my trips back home and my observations of relatives in China, I used to think that Chinese consumers were swept away in a consumerist whirlwind—a buy, buy, buy culture driven by low prices and endless deals. But I’ve come to realize this view is outdated.  

Chinese young consumers are demonstrating increased sophistication, financial literacy, self-fulfillment and self-awareness. They focus on purchasing products they genuinely need, rather than succumbing to impulsive shopping frenzies or the lure of discounted prices. This marks a move toward a more thoughtful and research-driven approach to consumption.  

They prioritize quality and emotional value in their purchases. The rise of "self-pleasing" consumption reflects a desire for products that enhance personal well-being and align with their values. Purchase of high-end sports gear and smartwatches, for example, point to a growing interest in self-investment, particularly in areas like health, fitness, and technology—key lifestyle aspirations for the younger generation.

Their shopping behavior is calm and deliberate. Instead of rushing into impulse buys, they spend more time comparing options and making informed decisions. Shopping has become a marathon rather than a sprint, emphasizing patience and maturity in their consumer habits.  

The dominance of essentials like smart TVs and refrigerators in sales highlights their focus on practicality and utility. These purchases suggest a preference for items that provide long-term value in daily life.  

Finally, there is a clear shift from price-driven purchases to value-driven ones. Younger consumers are carefully weighing cost against value, opting for long-term benefits over fleeting satisfaction.

This trend gives me a sense of reassurance, perhaps because it feels like a natural evolution—one where thoughtful consumption replaces mindless spending and accumulation. 

While I occasionally still find myself buying things I don’t really need, lured by discounts, young Chinese consumers seem to have left behind that stage. Their focus on quality, practicality, and self-investment reflects a maturity that I find both admirable and humbling.

Living in the United States, I feel like I’ve been outpaced by this new wave of savvy sophisticated shoppers in China. Perhaps it’s time for me to catch up in embracing the same value-driven mindset that defines this generation. After all, progress lies in learning from those who lead the way, no matter where they are.

1/3/2025

A recent experience made me reflect on a big difference between Chinese children growing up in America and those raised in China. When we suggested helping my daughter purchase an apartment in Brooklyn, she flatly refused, insisting she would do it herself. In contrast, most of her peers in China, including my relatives in Beijing, fully expect financial assistance from their parents when buying a home.

Back to today’s topic, towards the end of 2024, I came across an article in The Economist, “China is catching up with America in quantum technology.” The piece opens with a striking anecdote:

"In a small shop in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, one of the rarest pieces of technology in the world is on display. The quantum computer in the showroom of Origin, a Chinese startup, looks ready to be plucked from the shelf and fired up. Only 20 such devices are produced globally each year. It is unclear what in Origin’s showroom is for sale, but none of it is supposed to be seen by foreigners. During your correspondent’s visit, which was agreed on in advance, the company panicked at the sight of a foreigner, abruptly cancelled interviews and notified the police."

This engaging introduction captures the reader's attention and vividly illustrates the secrecy and geopolitical tension surrounding quantum technology.

The article delves into several key points:

1. Sensitivity and Strategic Importance:     The article emphasizes the profound importance of quantum technology, comparing its geopolitical significance to weapons manufacturing. As it notes, "Few industries outside of weapons manufacturing are so sensitive."

2. Categorized Analysis:     By dividing the quantum field into three areas—communications, sensing, and computing—the piece provides a clear framework. It highlights China’s leadership in quantum communications, competitiveness in sensing, and relative lag in computing.

3. Acknowledging China’s Achievements:     The article recognizes China as the "undisputed leader in quantum communications" and acknowledges its competitiveness in quantum sensing. This reflects a degree of respect for China's advancements in these sophisticated areas.

4. Framing the U.S.-China Competition:     The article juxtaposes China's progress against America's dominance in quantum computing, particularly through innovations by American firms like Google. This framing underscores the high stakes of this technological race.

5. Surprise and Strategic Anxiety:     The tone conveys both surprise and a sense of unease about China's rapid rises in a field with profound geopolitical and military implications, portraying China's progress and advancements as a challenge to the West's longstanding supremacy.

There is a Chinese saying, “不鸣则已，一鸣惊人” (bù míng zé yǐ, yī míng jīng rén) "A bird has been silent for a long time, but astonishes all when it finally sings." It describes someone who remains quiet or low-profile for a period, only to shock or impress the world with a sudden and significant achievement. It perfectly aligns with China’s quiet yet steady advancements in quantum technology, which now cause the U.S. to be taken aback by the speed of progress. It emphasizes surprise and the dramatic shift in perception.

In essence, the profound "strategic anxiety" felt in the U.S., serves as a mirror to China’s remarkable advancements in quantum technology. As China cements its leadership in quantum communications and remains competitive in sensing, its rapid progress in a field with transformative potential is challenging the technological supremacy which the U.S. has long taken for granted.

This anxiety underscores the stakes of the quantum race, where breakthroughs could potentially redefine global power dynamics, military capabilities, and economic dominance. Rather than praising China's strides in innovation, the article serves as a wake-up call to the West.

1/2/2025

The second day of the new year is here, and before diving into today’s main topic, I’d like to share an interesting insight.  

A study found that people who enjoy discussing and planning for the future tend to perform better academically, develop fewer bad habits, exercise more, save more money, and work harder. The young, the healthy, and the affluent are naturally more inclined to focus on the future, while the elderly, the unwell, and those who have once faced hardships often gravitate toward reflecting on the past.  

The key point is: if significant change is inevitable in the future, our greatest strength lies in our ability to anticipate it positively. A forward-looking, optimistic mindset not only helps us meeting challenges but often leads to better outcomes.

Just as individuals can transform their lives with an optimistic outlook, nations can address environmental challenges through forward-thinking initiatives. One such effort is China’s Great Green Wall.

China has achieved an extraordinary environmental milestone with the completion of a 3,000-kilometer "green belt" encircling the Taklamakan Desert, the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert. 

The United Nations has acknowledged China's "Great Green Wall" as a significant effort in combating desertification and promoting environmental restoration.

Launched in 1978, the program has planted more than 30 million hectares of trees, boosting China’s forest coverage from approximately 10% in 1949 to over 25% by the end of 2023. 

Remarkably, China now plants over 2.5 billion trees annually and has added approximately 700,000 square kilometers of forest since the 1980s—an area equivalent to 5 New York States.

A 2019 NASA study underscored China’s environmental leadership, revealing that the country contributed roughly 25% of the global increase in green vegetation between 2000 and 2017, making China the largest single contributor to global greening during that period.

A Chinese saying describes this perfectly, "众志成城 (zhòng zhì chéng chéng), meaning: the collective will can build a strongest city. This saying speaks to the power of collective determination and effort for a greater good like building the Great Green Wall.

Finally, China’s monumental achievements not only benefit its ecosystem but serve as a global model for combating climate change and desertification. Just as individuals thrive when adopting a forward-looking, optimistic mindset to anticipate and embrace change, nations too can rise to meet challenges with collective determination and vision.

China’s Great Green Wall demonstrates how visionary leadership and sustained effort can transform even the most inhospitable landscapes. By planting billions of trees and restoring ecosystems, China provides lasting benefits for future generations—a shining example of how the power of collective will, as captured in the saying "众志成城", can build not only a strong city but a stronger, greener planet.

Way to go!

Happy New Year!

New Year’s Day is celebrated with great enthusiasm as a time for fresh beginnings: resolutions, hopes, and promises of transformation, with 365 days of potential stretching ahead. Yet, if we pause to reflect, isn’t New Year’s Day just like any other day? Every morning brings 24 brand-new hours, brimming with possibility, no matter the date. So why reserve this sense of renewal for only one day a year?

Imagine waking up every morning with the same excitement and resolve that accompanies January 1st. Each sunrise offers an opportunity, set tasks, and make progress toward a life filled with purpose and creativity. Treating every day as a new beginning allows us to release the weight of yesterday’s mistakes and fully embrace the present moment with hope.

Bill Gates once remarked, "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years."

This insight sheds light on why many ambitious goals remain unfulfilled. 10 years may seem distant, but each day is what we have now, offering a chance to move closer to our dreams.

The true challenge lies in showing up with each sunrise, taking solid steps forward, and overcoming the inertia or distractions that each day brings.

As we begin a new year, here are a few tips to make this time of renewal meaningful:  

1. Big goals are built on small, daily steps. Dreams only materialize when anchored in consistent effort.  

2. See your dreams in daily actions. Discipline is the bridge between vision and reality.  

3. Break goals into manageable tasks. Think of each day as a building block toward your larger ambitions.  

4. Celebrate small wins. Acknowledging progress, however modest, helps sustain motivation and makes the journey more rewarding.

Often good news does not arrive with loud gongs and drums but flows in quietly like deep waters.

Finally, I’d like to share a lesson from this Chinese saying, and I hope you find it meaningful as well:

“不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海.” (Bù jī kuǐ bù, wú yǐ zhì qiān lǐ; bù jī xiǎo liú, wú yǐ chéng jiāng hǎi)

“Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand-mile goal; without gathering small streams, a river or sea cannot take form.”

This ancient proverb reminds us that achieving great goals requires consistent, incremental effort. It echoes the idea of treating each day as an opportunity to take small, meaningful steps toward a larger dream.

12/31/2024 Today marks the final day of 2024. Each year, I encourage my children, my students, and myself to reflect on the past while envisioning the future—a tradition instilled in me by my father. He believed that looking back gives clarity to the paths we've traveled, while looking forward inspires purpose for the journey ahead.

As I sit down to write, I can’t help but review the monumental events that defined this year. Though I personally may not have reached any milestones, the world has experienced a whirlwind of change.

In the United States, a historic political comeback saw Donald Trump return to power, reshaping the American political landscape. Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip remains engulfed in suffering and massive life losses, as relentless Israel bombings continue to devastate the land. The war in Ukraine entered its bloody third year with no end in sight, a grim reminder of the valuable peace that we so enjoy.

On a brighter note, China witnessed extraordinary advancements, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. EV adoption surged, positioning the nation far ahead of Western markets and signaling its leadership in electrification and clean energy innovation.

Among these events, one stands out as a fitting conclusion to 2024: the announcement of China’s CR450 high-speed train prototype on December 29. This engineering marvel not only breaks records but also points to a future of efficiency, innovation, and progress.

CR450: A Leap in Rail Technology

The CR450 high-speed train brings groundbreaking advancements in rail technology, setting a new global benchmark for speed, energy efficiency, and passenger comfort.

1. Unprecedented Speed  Operating at a design speed of 400 km/h (249 mph) and testing at 450 km/h (280 mph), the CR450 is the world’s fastest operational train. To put this into perspective, the 2,900-mile journey from San Francisco to New York could be completed in just 12 hours at this speed.  

2. Aerodynamic Excellence  Its streamlined design reduces aerodynamic drag by 22%, ensuring stability and efficiency even at ultra-high speeds. Noise-reduction measures enhance the travel experience, offering passengers a quieter and more pleasant ride.  

3. Energy Innovations  With a lighter structure—10% less than its predecessors—the train consumes less energy while maintaining exceptional performance. Advanced propulsion and braking systems further improve energy efficiency and reduce its environmental footprint.  

4. Enhanced Passenger Experience  Equipped with cutting-edge suspension systems and smart interior features, the CR450 offers a smooth and luxurious journey. Modern amenities like ergonomic seating, climate control, and smart lighting create an optimal travel environment.  

5. Safety and Reliability  Advanced braking systems improve deceleration performance by 20%, while seismic resistance ensures safety in earthquake-prone regions. Intelligent monitoring systems and semi-autonomous driving technology make the train a pinnacle of smart transportation.  

6. A Symbol of Global Leadership  The CR450 represents China’s dominance in high-speed rail technology and innovation, with implications for international collaboration and rail infrastructure exports. Its success solidifies China's position as a leader in sustainable transportation.  

A Fast Train for a Fast-Moving World

As we bid farewell to 2024, the CR450 high-speed train serves as a powerful symbol of the year’s advancements. It heralds an era of rapid development, where technology continues to redefine the possibilities of connectivity and efficiency.  

May this innovation inspire all of us to move forward with the same speed and determination in the coming year, embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Here’s to a fast-moving 2025, where progress knows no bounds.

Finally, I want to end the year with the phrase "既往开来" (jì wǎng kāi lái), meaning "to learn from the past and look forward to the future." This mindset, balancing reflection with forward momentum, is what I want to share today—moving forward with energy and embracing the future with unwavering momentum.