Intelligence of the Irish

After attending a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the founding of GPC Industries Ltd. in London， my wife and I flew to Ireland to continue our European tour. Soon after our arrival at the Dublin Airport， a tour bus took us across a rich green grassland atop a vast plain. Having never visited the country before， we were deeply impressed by the lush greenery： “Nowhere else on this planet is greener than Ireland！” I sighed. The people here enjoy an affluent， casual life. All enterprises are engaged in hi-tech products– technology has replaced physical labor.

Ireland has a population of 4.5 million– less than that of Ningbo， my hometown. Yet， it has much greater expanses of plains.

The offerings in a supermarket I visited were varied and diverse， but the guide especially noted the milk powder. “It is exported all over the world，” she remarked.“It accounts for a big part of our national revenue. Over the last few years it has been a restricted purchase because it is always out of stock.”

“Then why don’t dairymen raise more cows？” I asked. “Your grassland is outstanding.”

“That’s true，” the guide conceded， “but our government is looking at the big picture related to environmental protection and long-term interests. Excessive development of the dairy industry leads to damage of the environment， and any agriculture or animal husbandry must be ecologically sound. This is how the country has maintained a clean environment.”

Another of Ireland’s major industries is technology. Dublin has been dubbed the country’s “Silicon Valley” for its computer chips and other hi-tech products. Its favorable ecological environment has drawn world-famous companies， thus accelerating local economic progress. With per capita income of US$ 40，000， Irish citizens are working on intelligent， hi-tech products rather than using physical labor.

While shopping， I encountered a group of shoppers from China buying Swiss watches - believed to be cheaper than those in Switzerland. The price of a Chopin watch is almost as much as an entire container of hand hydraulic carriers my company produces. The value of the Chopin brand lies in intelligence and cutting-edge technology， while that of my company lies in physical labor and raw materials. The majority of Irish workplaces are offices rather than factories， which averts pollution， while in China， development zones are everywhere and the process of making energy-consuming， labor-intensive products creates pollution.

Today， China has grown stronger. The model for our country’s development today could follow Ireland： Work smarter instead of harder.