Meet Raymond Gong

When did you join AGB and what is your role?

It gave me great pleasure to join AGB last December as the Chief Representative of the Aetna Shanghai office. I am looking forward to working closely with the home office and adding value to the AGB team.

How long have you lived in China?

I am a Chinese national, spending 35 years in China. I was born and raised in Shanghai; the biggest city in China. After earning a Master’s Degree in Marketing Management, I worked in Hong Kong for two years. In 2000, I came back to Shanghai and worked here ever since.

What is the atmosphere in China as Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics?

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is really a hot topic in China right now. The Chinese people are taking action to welcome the opening of the games. Many people have applied to become volunteers for the games as well. The number of applicants is far greater than the volunteers we actually need. More than 300,000 people across mainland China will soon be notified that they have managed to secure tickets for the games. But according to the Ticketmaster Beijing Office, the Beijing Olympic ticketing center received more than 700,000 applications for tickets during phase one of ticket sales. Phase one of the ticket sale process took place between April 15 and June 30, 2007. The people who failed to secure tickets through phase one, are looking forward to phase two. In addition, many events were held here following the mantra of "One World One Dream — I participate, I contribute, and I enjoy," which integrated sports with cultural events like “The Fifth Beijing 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival.” People here have enjoyed numerous sports-related and cultural activities, including films, forums, exhibitions, open-air concerts, youth programs and activities for persons with disabilities.

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them adjust to the Chinese culture?

Newcomers can adjust to the Chinese culture by reading, visiting museums and sightseeing. Having dinner in a local colleague’s home would be a good idea to get to know some of the common Chinese traditions and culture. Additionally, visiting clubs and organizations like the Chinese handwriting club, “Go” chess club, cooking club, etc. are very popular places for newcomers to socialize.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in China?
For example, do their lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

In China, family is traditionally the most important. Young people live with their parents, even after marriage. However, with the booming economy, a trend towards lives revolving around work is being noticed, especially in our younger generations. An increasing number of people are moving from western China to eastern shoreline locations like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to China what advice would you give them?

I would say that research and networking would be important prior to moving to China. I would recommend learning some basic Chinese if possible.