My tragic life without China

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"Everyone needs to study Chinese! China is going to control the world – and very soon," my editor told us repeatedly. After spending a little over a week in China, he returned to Russia devoid of patriotism and optimism. Each conversation ended with China taking the West by storm. I couldn't handle it any longer.
 
"OK! That's enough!" I said. "China has what, a population of one billion or so? And...? Stop being so dramatic!"

But this was just the conversation he had been waiting for.
 
"Look around you," he said. "Wake up! China's already here in Moscow. It's impossible to live without Chinese goods. You couldn't go one week without 'Mаde in China!'"

I thought otherwise. "Try me," I said.

And the deal was done. I had one week to prove I could live without Chinese goods.

"This is the perfect chance to inject some patriotic journalism into the editorial room," I thought.

Little did I know what lay in store.
 
My electronic soul mate
 
First thing's first. I had to sort through my stuff to see what Chinese goods I was already using.

"There shouldn't be much to worry about," I thought. "My apartment's quite spartan as is. The only thing I really need here is my computer." But when I examined my electronic soul mate more closely, I was horrified at the sight of the tag: "Made in China."

"Oh my God!" I said to myself. "A week without my computer?! I haven't gone a day without it for the last 7 years..."

But I forced myself to move on and approached my other creature comfort – the TV.

"Aha, I have a Rolsen!" I thought. "It says clearly on the back, 'Made in Russia.'"

The TV might be on its last legs with too few channels and dysfunctional color rendering, but it works just fine if I whack it hard enough. Quality Russian electronics! I was quick to tell my friends my TV was Russian – and not Chinese. Frankly speaking, I was proud. But it wasn't long before they brought me back down to Earth.

"Your TV is Chinese," they said. "Ask anyone."

So I did. I went to a neighboring electronics store to get a professional opinion.
 
"Hmmm... How can I put it," the salesman said. "It's Russian manufacturing, but the 'insides' are Chinese."
 
"What about Rubin TVs? They're Russian, though, aren't they?" I asked.
 
"No, the components are Chinese."
 
"Well are there any computers that aren't Chinese?" I asked. "I don't have a computer, but I really need one!"
 
"Of course there are," he said. "We have one Desten, but it's still Chinese 'inside.' Why do you need a Russian computer, anyway? No one buys those things, even if they're less expensive. Most of us don't trust our Russian electronics."
 
Buy French for more
 
Life was all the sudden hurling me back 20 years to a time when I could live reasonably without a computer or TV.

I went home to grab a bite to eat. Luckily, my refrigerator is a "Minsk." We're about the same age, so it's unlikely there are any Chinese parts inside. The Minsk was put together in the Soviet days, before Chinese goods took over (evidently) the Russian market.

I opened the freezer. Semi-processed goods are a wondrous innovation. I was pleased to see that my frozen carrot and broccoli mix was made in Poland, not China. The package read: "De-freeze in the microwave for 5-10 minutes." So just to be safe I turned my miracle oven around and low and behold I saw once again: "Made in China."

"Well," I thought, "I'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way. That's not so tough."
 
Later I decided to make myself a cup of tea. I had already locked the electric teapot in the cupboard together with all the other Chinese equipment. It was right next to my blender. I remembered what the salesman told me when I made the purchase.

"It's a good piece of equipment," he said. "The brand's Italian and the components are Chinese. If you'd like, you can opt for the French model – but it costs 2,000 more." I decided to go with the semi-Italian brand...
 
"How can I live without a TV and computer?" I asked myself. "Reading?" I looked at my bookshelf hoping the books weren't printed in China. But all my frames, souvenirs and statuettes also turned out to be Chinese. So out they went...

My apartment was starting to feel a lot roomier. That night, I went to sleep on my sofa – made in Russia by Swedish design. But in my heart I knew that somewhere deep down inside the bed was Chinese handicraft.
 
Hoping for cosmetics
 
Another day without Chinese goods didn't make my life any easier. I stormed through my wardrobe. Half the clothes bought in decent, even upscale, stores ended up having been sewn in China, or made of Chinese fabric. I found "Made in China" on my favorite blouse from Canada. It seemed no country was safe.

I decided I needed to go shopping for electronics and clothes at speciality stores that: "Say No to China!"
 
"What about my favorite mobile?" I wondered. I opened the back and saw: "Made in Finland."

"Yes!" I shouted.  But I had spoken too soon. The battery was made in China. So I rushed to the mobile phone store to find a replacement.
 
"Give me a phone that isn't Chinese, please," I said. "I can't live without a mobile!"
 
"The new models are sometimes made in Finland, Germany and Hungary," the salesman said. "But when companies launch mass production they produce in China. It's cheaper. Even the regular batteries for new models are made in China."
 
In hysterics, I left and went to another store to buy cosmetics, hoping to unburden my heavy heart.
 
"I hope you don't sell Chinese cosmetics!" I said.
 
The blond salesgirl looked at me in disbelief.

"Well if you want Chinese," she said, "we can put something together for you."
 
"No, I don't want Chinese," I said. "Give me anything – even African. Just as long as there's nothing Chinese in the ingredients!"
 
"Of course," she said. "We only have French and Italian cosmetics – the highest quality."
 
I had heard the same line from the traders at the Petrovsko-Razumovskiy market who said their clothes were sewn in Paris. At least I managed to find some honest salesmen there who admitted the clothes were actually sewn in China.
 
"It's all Chinese. But listen, don't worry," they said. "The quality's superb – and at a great price."
 
I didn't take their word for it. Recently it's become cheaper to shop at clearance sales at local boutiques than markets. And that's exactly where I went. But the queues outside the changing rooms at the stores just off Okhotniy Ryad looked like bread lines.

I didn't find anything. All the blouses and shirts read: "Made in China." But the jeans and sun-dresses looked like they had been sewn in Italy. So I called over the salesgirl.

"Come on," I said. "What's the catch here? Where were these jeans really made?"
 
"Italy. That's what it says on the tag," she answered. "Of course, the fabric's Chinese or Turkish. But everything's sewn in Italy."

So I decided to go to an upscale store that housed collections of popular Russian fashion designers. The clothing was far from cheap. The style was quaint – not for everyone to say the least.

The saleswoman confessed: "We sew in China – but the ideas are ours!"
 
I roamed around Moscow deep in thought, making my way through the swarming crowds. I imagined thousands of Chinese men and women working day and night to clothe, feed and nurture their Russian neighbors. What a heroic people!
 
It was time to go home. I was tired and decided to catch a cab. So I stood there by the side of the road with my thumb out. The rusty, worn-down Soviet cabbies that usually pulled over sped by with disinterest. And then a shiny Cherry stopped to pick me up... "Made in China." So I had to take the metro.
 
In conclusion...
 
When I got home, I realized life was scant without China. All my electronics, my washing machine, home phone, hairdryer, two dictophones and even my basin that I bought outside the metro for 200 rubles were Chinese. It's possible to make do without Chinese clothes – but it's costly and the outfits are harder to find. So what's the option? Russia was the first country to fly to space – but we can't even make TVs or computers?!
 
I was ashamed. I had lost the bet. Yes, Mr. Editor, it's time to study Chinese...

 
Expert Commentary
 
Igor Nikolaev, Director of the Strategic Analysis Department at FBK: "The market doesn't care where the products were made. The important thing's the profit."
 
"Can we live without Chinese goods? Certainly. We did for 70 years in the Soviet era. But was it good? I doubt you'll find anyone who will answer 'yes' to that question. The world can't live without China. Chinese goods have take over the U.S. and European markets, and we're no better. Japan depends more on importing goods from Podnebesnaya than Russia. China's trump card is the low cost. The market doesn't care where the goods are made. What's important is to buy and sell profitably. But the Chinese may soon lose their advantage as labor costs increase. China's economy is growing quickly and the Chinese want to earn more money. Inflation is also increasing all over the world. China's no exception. If China's goods stop selling cheaply, then will there be a demand? That's unlikely."

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