Gilbert Van Kerckhove has lived and worked in Beijing for over 30 years. An electrical engineer by trade, Gilbert has worked closely with the Chinese government on a wide range of projects including power plants, urban metro lines, and telecommunication systems. He was also deeply involved in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In this interview, we discuss Gilbert’s history working in Beijing, the pace of change in China, and the social and environmental challenges the country faces moving forward.
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"When you love a country, you also point out its problems and you try to solve them." - Gilbert Van Kerckhove
Show Notes:
- How Gilbert got his start in China in 1980
- How he built trust with the Chinese government
- Why Gilbert was called “The Fireman” during the Beijing Olympics
- How the Chinese mentality lends itself to quick development and change
- Why five year plans work in China
- The story of how China opened its central and western regions to industry
"This is a country where things are moving very fast, at a speed that has never been seen in any other country around the world." - Gilbert Van Kerckhove
- Why local governments depend on industry
- The big problems moving forward: migrant workers, divided families, land ownership, and the environment
- The environmental problem in China that is actually worse than air pollution
- What needs to happen to curb migration to Beijing
- How “rural” and “urban” Chinese people are registered for life
- Gilbert’s take on vertical cities
- A sneak peek into Gilbert’s future book plans
Links Mentioned:
- Gilbert's blog: Stuck in Beijing since 1980
- The CCTV special on Gilbert
- Gilbert’s book: Toxic Capitalism
- Gilbert's Linkedin profile
"The Chinese government is aware that the environmental situation is bloody, bloody bad." - Gilbert Van Kerckhove