[Editor's Note]
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Looking back at the journey, we can see that the good communication atmosphere between the two countries has created conditions for countless individual interactions, and in this encounter, there are more individual adventures worth telling. Over the past 60 years, countless Chinese and French women have shuttled between the two cultures. In the process of dealing with the unknown, they have found their own value and position, and gradually polished their own shining beauty, becoming the driving force for China and France to move forward. The power of beauty. On the occasion of International Women's Day, we invited 7 Chinese and French women to talk about the adventures and flashes of individual women in Sino-French interactions.
On March 1, at 4 pm Beijing time, Zhou Weigang just finished his first meeting of the day in Paris, France. She couldn't remember how many times she had been to France. Because of her work, she went there once every quarter.
In 2012, Zhou Wei joined Shanghai Jinjiang International Group and worked from departmental investment manager to vice president of the group, in charge of the group's overseas investment, international business and innovation sectors. In his usual work, Zhou Wei often participates in the group's mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad, and then continues operations and management.
France is an important stop for her. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. She can feel that the cultural exchanges between the two countries are getting deeper and deeper, and her career in France will continue to expand.
Before joining Jinjiang, she worked in the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government. After working in the government for ten years, Zhou Wei wanted to seek some changes in his work. Although people around her opposed her giving up this "enviable job", she decided to try a different life. In addition to being interested in the business world outside government, she also wanted to get out of the box and see another world. "I was relatively young at the time and felt there was no need to prematurely define what job I was suitable for," Zhou Wei said.
Ten years later, looking back on her original choice, Zhou Wei said that she seemed to see herself at the age of thirty, using all her courage to take the first step of change.
The following text is compiled based on Zhou Wei’s dictation.
Portrait of Zhou Wei, photo provided by the interviewee
At the age of thirty, everything starts from scratch
When I made the decision to quit my government job, many people around me were surprised and said they didn’t know where I got the courage. Because I did very well in my first job and often participated in major national and local diplomatic, political and economic exchange activities. In this process, I can also learn about the culture and customs of various countries, which others are envious of.
But I want to make some changes, otherwise I feel that life is not exciting and rich enough. At that time, I was about 30 years old, still very young, and I could try new things. So, I chose to join Jinjiang Group. Although I have achieved some results in my past work, I must let it all go.
for me everything can only start from scratch. Because I have never worked in a hotel, nor have I studied financial investment. At that time, I didn’t think about what the future would be like, so I just immersed myself in learning and moved forward without hesitation. Once you set a goal, stick to it.
I know that what I want is a change in life, and I have to work harder for this. With these challenges of a new job, I have to change myself and adapt to the new environment. One of the qualities I admire most is being honest with yourself and being honest with others. Don't deceive yourself and don't deceive others. In this way, you will live a more relaxed and transparent life.
When I first joined Jinjiang Group, I was a small manager in the investment department. My job was to follow the project investment team and do various overseas mergers and acquisitions projects. I am learning and doing at the same time. In addition to working, I also want to go to business school to study for my MBA. Although the pressure is great, I have strong learning ability and can quickly integrate into the new job. When
just started, I was a new member. People didn’t know your past or what you could do, so at that time I took the initiative to fight for opportunities, just like I had just graduated from college and entered the company as an intern. I would take the initiative to sit in on various meetings and ask my colleagues if they needed me. I started by taking meeting minutes. It was not easy to take good meeting minutes because I didn’t know what to remember and write at the beginning.I can only read more and ask more questions, starting from a novice and accumulating relevant knowledge bit by bit. While working at
, my advantage in English gradually became apparent, and I had the opportunity to attend some important meetings with senior leaders. Because we have a lot of overseas communications, I can help group leaders with translation, communication, and contact work, so I can learn about the most important and confidential things about the company and industry through these occasions.
When you are a bystander and watch two masters compete, you will learn a lot, if you are willing. Of course, you must first know what you want, and then you can let go of other unimportant things. This may also be the reason why I became a vice president step by step.
Zhou Wei’s life photos, pictures provided by interviewees
Choices and actions
Looking back now, what I am most proud of in the past ten years is leading the team to expand globally and continue to expand overseas markets. Of course, this process is not all my fault. My role is to promote communication between China and foreign countries and bridge the cultural and management differences.
In fact, this communication process is very beautiful. My understanding of beauty may be a thing, an object, or a living person. Specifically, natural expression is a kind of beauty. This kind of expression reflects a kind of self-confidence and a kind of self. It shows the true state of one's heart for everyone to see. I think this is the most beautiful state.
I like the state when I am relaxed, calm and serious about something. At that moment, you are disconnected from the world. In fact, most of our stress comes from external noise, which you have to deal with, causing you to absorb a lot of negative energy. I exercise three or four times a week to detach myself and release stress.
Along the way, I have always believed that two words are important - choice and action. The ability to choose represents a kind of wisdom and attitude. Only when I chose to leave the government department would I reach another stage of my life. If I had chosen not to move or to retreat, things might be different now. Action means that once you make a choice, you must stick to it. In the end, you don’t know when a qualitative leap will occur, but you must be patient.
I think from a gender perspective, in a traditional male-dominated society, there seems to be more men among the highest-level leaders, including in the Western world. I think the main difference is not gender, but that women give more outside of their careers.
Why are there more and more outstanding female leaders appearing now, whether in China or overseas? I think a very important reason is that they can focus more on the workplace and they have the opportunity to prove themselves. As long as we put in the same energy, we can be successful in the workplace. In addition, I think female leaders have another advantage - everyone says that women are as gentle as water. I think the image of water is very appropriate, but I think water is both gentle and powerful.
Like water, women can show the diversity of life. They can advance or retreat, be soft or strong. I think this is the advantage of women as leaders. They have a strong side and can act according to the rules of the company. But at the same time, because of their maternal nature, they will give people more care, so her team members will feel better when they are with her. There is a family feel. The water flow will appear in different states as the topography changes. There are gurgling creeks, waterfalls, and undercurrents under the calm sea.
Zhou Wei’s life photos, pictures provided by the interviewees
Communication, based on appreciation and understanding
I have been thinking about how to use my own power to influence more people and give more people opportunities or help. Certainly not through money. I am doing corporate social responsibility work, and this experience has inspired me how to make society more inclusive and how to benefit more people, such as the so-called gender equality, those who are disadvantaged in society, How to get equal opportunities?
Ten years ago, our group’s first overseas investment was in France. In the past ten years, I have traveled to France, especially Paris, countless times.This city looks a bit chaotic on the surface, but in fact it has its own rules and people live an orderly life. I have met many French friends and colleagues. After many years of contact, I feel that they are particularly willing to express their thoughts and feelings. In my opinion, this is a kind of freedom and relaxation.
In addition to people's comments, I can feel that the artistic and cultural atmosphere here is very free and diverse, and I can see new things every time I come here. In fact, the French are very particular about family values. After I have been dating some French friends for a long time, I found that when they are on vacation, they will go out with their children to do various activities. They pay attention to and value their families.
Another feeling I have is that French girls are very delicate, but they are also very free and easy. That kind of sophistication does not mean that the body is dressed up neatly, but that the matching from top to bottom is very natural, and you don't feel that they have any trace of careful modification. This is a kind of beauty and an attitude. What she wants to show is her own status and her own style, "I am different from you, and I don't need to follow you." I think this is what I just said, you have to know who you are and then let it out. After working for
for so many years, I have spent a lot of time with the employees of our French company, whether middle-level or senior management. The communication and understanding between everyone is based on mutual appreciation and acceptance. I think this is very important whether it is at the enterprise, government or civil society level.
Whether in life or work, I care about the communication between everyone. This kind of communication does not mean that I put something over there and you just have to look at it. After so many years, I found that there is an increasingly obvious trend that everyone is truly communicating and having attentive dialogues.
Whether it is an exhibition or a performance, every event is a dialogue between China and France. Whether it is individuals or countries, in these exchanges, although there are differences, there are also many commonalities. This process of continuously deepening mutual knowledge and understanding makes me feel very beautiful. I think this is a very solid foundation for the future development of the two countries, and even for the future cooperation between China and Europe.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-