Looking east.

The old adage "seeing is believing" certainly applies to China. In September, I had the opportunity to travel to the Middle Kingdom for the first time. The first part of the trip was a Metso Paper tour group visiting mills in Shandong Province. The second part involved attending China Paper 2004 in Shanghai, of which TAPPI and Solutions! were sponsors. The following are my impressions of China.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sept. 2-3. The 18-hour flight from Chicago wasn't as bad as expected--there were enough diversions (work, movies, chatting, fitful sleep) to make the time pass well enough. Arrived at Pudong Airport in Shanghai (a starkly beautiful, modern facility) somewhat dazed but buzzed by arriving in a new city. My shuttle bus driver used the traditional Chinese driving style--lots of honking at any vehicle within a few meters and flashing of headlights at slow drivers blocking the way. Everything is brand new in Shanghai--including the cars and roads. Among their U.S. imports from the U.S.: Buicks and traffic jams. Chinese/English road signs are a nice touch.

Sept. 4. After a welcome night's sleep, I arrive at Hongqiao airport (also in Shanghai) in the morning to meet up with our tour group, which includes several journalists and Metso professionals. It's great to see old friends and meet other paper industry people from around the world--Finland, Sweden, China, Singapore, Australia, and the U.S. are all represented.

We fly to Qingdao, famous for its Tsingtao (old spelling) beer, and set out by tour bus for Weifang. Most of our travel is on the brand new superhighways that crisscross Shandong Province. Even on the superhighways, bicycles, bicycle carts, motor scooters and motorized carts share the road with cars, trucks, and busses. The two key traffic rules: no sudden moves and always keep going--even with only a few centimeters of clearance.

Poplar plantations line the roadsides, destined to become pulpwood in a few years. A government edict prevents plantations from displacing good farmland, so they must be planted on marginal land. For a fiber-starved nation like China, these plantations will be crucial. We also observe bicycle carts carrying teetering piles of recycled paper and cardboard--another critical fiber source for China. Very little goes to waste here.

As we approach our destination, we shift to local roads. Streets and sidewalks are a hive of activity--people riding bicycles, often with passengers on the rear fender. People sit outside of shops, homes, and garages talking, eating lunch, working, repairing scooters and bicycles, and selling food from impromptu markets. Small armies of sweepers clean the streets using hand brooms. A bicycle cart zips by carrying a large steel frame three times the size of the cart.

We enter Weifang and see a development area designated and funded by the Chinese government. Development areas grind up villages and farmland, replacing them with wide roads, industrial parks, and apartment complexes. Side roads provide a glimpse of dirt roads, huts, and small animal pens--the world supplanted by the somewhat surreal development zones.

We go out for dinner (Chinese, of course) in redeveloped downtown Weifang. It's rush hour and people mob the street and shops. Thousands of bikes are parked on the sidewalks--without any locks. Back at our comfortable, five-star hotel, I struggle with the unfamiliar, centrally controlled light system. I figure how to turn on the lights, but fail miserably in my attempt to get the TV on or turn down the AC. Under two blankets, it's comfortable.

Sept. 5. We travel to Shouguang, home to Shandong Chenming Holding Ltd., a series of four mills. It's easy to find--right in the middle of the town. The "not in my backyard" opposition to industry has not made it to China.

Shandong Chenming encapsulates many of the trends in the Chinese paper industry. The old: Several old paper machines produce low quality paper for domestic consumption. The new: Two new machines produce most of the plant's output. Mill 2's PM1 is a Metso LWC machine recently updated with a shoe press, and it runs faster than machines in Europe and the United States--1265 meters/min at the dry end. Plantations: Chenming has a small poplar plantation growing right on the mill site. New investment: Under construction are Mill 4 (which houses PM3, a new board machine), as well as a 250,000 metric tons/yr ATMP mill.

At the end of our visit, a military-style guard at the mill gate salutes as we leave in our tour bus.

ALAN ROOKS

Editorial Director

Contact Alan at [phone], or by e-mail at: [e-mail]