There are no quick fixes

Just next to where I grew up, in the outskirts of the small Swedish town Kalmar, the China Europe Business & Exhibition Center is being built.

Fanerdun Group AB has great plans: an enormous exibition centre in which Chinese grocery companies can promote their products for European costumers.

In February, I went with my wife to visit my parents in Kalmar. We went to the construction site and this is what we saw:

Nothing has happened for months, officially since the workers are celebrating the Chinese new year back in China but many now believe that the project is doomed. The reasons are many but the two main causes are probably cultural clashes and conflicts with the Swedish union.

As I see it, this is wonderful news. Not since I dislike the idea of an Chinese exhibition centre in Kalmar (on the contrary, I love it) but since this is an excellent opportonity for Sweden and China to learn from eachother. The Swedes can learn about Chinese culture and way of thinking. The Chinese can get insight about Swedish labour legislation and fundamental democratic rights.

Am i naive? Maybe. But I truly think this is the way the world works. There are no quick fixes.