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Jonathan Powell

Young people share their experience of the mainland

Name Mandy Liu Ching-man

Age 25

Status  Putonghua student

School Beijing Language and Culture University

With her sights set on a trade management career in Asia, Mandy Liu Ching-man knew that adding polished  Putonghua to her  Dutch and English skills would be a powerful tool in attracting employers. With students from most Asian countries and more than 100 nations around the world represented in the student population at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), Liu has come to realise just how important Putonghua has become.

'It has already become a regional language that can be used to communicate with Asians in many countries, not only here in China,' she said. 'I went on a trip to Korea recently and was surprised at how well many people speak Chinese.  On a cultural level, I think it could be just as valuable as English.'

Ms Liu returned to Hong Kong eight years ago after completing her secondary education in the Netherlands. She worked for three years before returning to Europe to study for a degree in trade management for Asia, which included an exchange semester at the Beijing University of Technology. After she finishes her one year full-time course at BLCU, she will return to her parent's European home, but hopes to secure work that will send her back to Asia.

'I think the trick to getting along in China is understanding guanxi [connections].  It's about knowing how to get things done and developing trusting relations with people.'

When Ms Liu was last in Beijing in 2005 she sought an internship with a local company, but this proved a challenging task.

'Most local companies don't even know about the concept of interns. I e-mailed about 30 companies, as did about 15 other students on the same exchange programme, but none of us got any replies. In the end I managed  by asking some friends if they knew anyone who could help. Some Korean friends set me up with a Korean company.'

Finding accommodation at BLCU is less arduous. Dormitory rooms can be booked a few weeks before you arrive. It costs around 1,500 to 1,800 yuan a month. And yes, you have a roommate - who may not speak English. 'You're forced to get to know each other and you have to be quite considerate as it's not a big space,' she said.



Connections prove key to getting along