Recently I had a chance of visiting China as an aviation consultant, and I would like to share with you my impressions.

What impresses at first glance is the construction activity, probably 1,000 times more intense than in our old Europe. Also impressive is the number of businesses when you look for something online. For every need you can find dozens of huge production facilities.

Also the land transportation infrastructure is astonishing. When you see on the map the highway network or you cross the Qingdao Bay Bridge one cannot believe that all this has been built in such a short time.

The strongest pleasant impression is the sense of hospitality. People are friendly and look for a relation with you, a sign of a healthy curiosity for what comes from far away. The only obstacle is language. I will try to learn some Chinese if I have to stay for sometime in your country, and I am sure you know well that speaking one or more foreign languages is essential in the present world.

material and immaterial remains of your past testify that you belong to a 5,000 year old culture. Only China and the civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea share this feature, something that must make all of us very proud.

You have the fortune of living an exciting moment in the history of your country, probably unique in the last centuries. And you have the opportunity of taking a big advantage from that, as well as of contributing with your commitment to the progress of the entire society you live in.