My roots are in China
By Enid Chen
Photos by Yao Fan

18年前, 他被一家德国公司派往中国负责一个为期两个月的项目. 这两个月却成为他人生的转折点. 从此, 他在中国"扎根", 一呆就是18年. 他就是林德气体中国区的新任德籍总经理柯安平(Andreas Kuchta)先生. 就像林德气体厦门有限公司办公楼石碑上的刻字"千里之行, 始于足下"一样, 这位中国人的洋女婿说, 他在林德只是一个起点, 未来的路还很漫长, 需要一步一步走得扎实. 最近, 他和林德气体亚太地区总裁孔拉特博士(Dr Bernd R. Conrad)一起接受了本刊的采访. At the beginning of 2006, Mr Andreas Kuchta, the new General Manager of Linde Gas China, officially started at his new job. Mr Kuchta, who has been living in China for 18 years, has an extensive knowledge of Chinese culture. This, to some extent, reflects the great importance that Linde Gas attaches to the development of its business in China. Together with Dr Bernd R. Conrad, President of Linde Gas Asia-Pacific area, Mr Kuchta agreed to talk to Common Talk.

Name: Andreas Kuchta
Position: General Manager, Linde Gas China
Nationality: German
Striding into a period of expansion

Deep knowledge of China

CT: I see from your resume that you were sent to China for a two-month project, 18 years ago, and this became a turning point in your life. What made you stay in China for 18 years and more years to come?

Mr Kuchta: 18 years ago, I was sent to China by a German company for a project that was scheduled to be completed in two months, and after that I was supposed to return to Germany. When I started the project, I found the Chinese way of doing business was quite different from that in Germany. Therefore, I decided to stay, to learn more about Chinese business and Chinese culture, which is fascinating to me. In addition, it has been a very special experience to spend so much time with the Chinese people, who are very hospitable. They often invite me to join them for meals, sports, daytrips and all kinds of activities. These are the two major reasons for my staying in China.

CT: How many more years are you going to stay in China?

Mr Kuchta: I don't have any plans at all. I will stay here as long as Linde requires me to. I have put down my roots in China. You see, now I'm married with a Chinese lady and we have two lovely kids. They go to Chinese primary schools and their Chinese is much better than mine. The roots of my family are in China now. Hence, I don't have any plans to leave this country in the foreseeable future.

In addition, during my 18 years in China, I have gained extensive knowledge of the Chinese market, a great insight into the business practices and thinking of the Chinese people and a love for this old culture. Therefore, I hope to use my knowledge to bridge the differences between our two cultures.

A long journey ahead

CT: As the new General Manager of Linde Gas China, what are your expectations concerning your work in Linde?

Mr Kuchta: When I first arrived at the company, I noticed a stone embedded into the building with a Chinese inscription on it. It is a famous saying by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Zi: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - the greatest achievements are to be gained step by step." The stone inscription was the idea of our first General Manager here in Xiamen, Dr Bernd R. Conrad, who shares my love of Chinese culture. To my mind, this Chinese saying not only suits the company in general, but also it is a reflection of my personal career. During my work at Linde these last few days, I have found the job extremely interesting and challenging. I'm aware that there is a very long journey ahead and we need to work towards our goals step by step.

Dr Conrad: Let me add more to that answer. Linde Gas is part of the service industry. The sophistication lies behind the product itself - that is to say, in the packaging of the gas, dealing with our customers and delivery of the gas. This is very different from other products. Let's take Mercedes for example. A Mercedes is itself a showpiece of beauty and engineering excellence. People who intend to buy a Mercedes don't need to test it. However, our gas products are invisible and we need to prove their reliability and high quality to our customers. These are some of the difficulties we encounter in our business.

Furthermore, new investments need to be approved by the board of directors of the Linde Group. Nowadays, the competition is between Russia, Ukraine and China. Over half of the German population can speak Russian and there is also huge market there. Therefore, as the General Manager of Linde Gas China, Mr Kuchta needs to prove to the board of directors that investment in China will provide the best returns. It's going to be a long and tough journey.

CT: As the saying goes: it's easy to open a shop but hard to keep it open. Linde Gas has gained a firm footing in Xiamen and other parts of China over the past ten years. What are your plans for the expansion of the business in the next few years?

Mr. Kuchta: The first ten years for Linde Gas China has been a period of consolidation, where we get familiar with the Chinese market. We are going to develop the business further based on our existing network, and stride into a new decade for expansion and growth. We will widen our product range and look for new areas where we can service the local industry. I believe there are still many potential opportunities in the greater Xiamen and Fujian areas. Nevertheless, we are also aiming at markets all over China, in the north, in Yangtze River delta and Pearl River delta.

However, Xiamen, as the birthplace of Linde Gas China, will maintain its role as a crucible for developing and educating our people, preparing them for business all over China. For example, the financial manager in Xiamen was recently sent to Dalian to head up a project there. Xiamen is the cradle for the talented people of Linde Gas China.

Vocabulary
embed 镶嵌
inscription 刻字
consolidation 巩固
foreseeable 可预见的
sophistication 先进技术
crucible 熔炉