Before deciding to come to China, Henri Petit, chairman and president of Eastman Kodak's Asia operations, made a three-day visit to Shanghai with his wife.
In the Shanghai Museum, they were fascinated by an exhibition of traditional costumes from western China's ethnic groups.
Petit recalls his strong interest in visiting those and other cultural and historical areas in China.
Since assuming the top spot at Kodak in February, Petit made a trip to Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province and another trip to Kunming in Yunnan Province.
"The trips to the west were absolutely fascinating," he said. "The culture is so rich and there's so much to see and learn"
Petit said the western part of China is very attractive in terms of its potential for tourism.
He plans to travel to Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, while his wife, who has been to Xi'an, plans a trip on the Yellow River.
China's culture is not the only attraction for the French businessman.
He was shocked to discover the size of some of the country's cities. "We all know that Beijing and Shanghai are big cities, but we often don't realize how many big cities there are in western China," he said.
Petit was also impressed by huge construction projects throughout the western areas, including roads, highways and buildings.
Western China is developing as quickly as the eastern part, he observed. "I saw an ocean of entrepreneurship and new companies, much more than I had imagined."
He also discovered, however, differences between the eastern and western areas of China.
Large, beautiful stores carrying luxury brands are common in Shanghai and Beijing but much fewer are present in the west, although there are supermarkets such as Carrefour and Wal-Mart in the west.
"The competition in the west is not as hot as in the east," he observed.
An example, said Petit, is in the field of architecture. Each new building in the east, especially in Shanghai, shows some difference in design, while little innovation is seen in the west.
As a businessman, he added, it is nice to see that progress is being made. "Measures the government has taken to develop the west are good ones in terms of direction."
(China Daily November 14, 2001)
