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Dear Ren Zegang or Zegang Ren,

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Perhaps you may be kind enough to tell me which is your first name and which is your family name - and please forgive me for my ignorance.

I simply wish to thank you for that very informative article and encourage you to write more.

I really do appreciate it.

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Banjo,

It is fine to be a bit puzzled about Chinese name orders.
That country is so much in the news that we are exposed continually to leaders' names, which follow the rule: family name firstly, then given name (or names).
So the author ought to be addressed as Zegang Ren, formally. He is Mr. Zegang and if you are on familiar terms with him you could use his given name, Ren.

I just wanted to outline that principle to you before turning to my comment, which is to echo heartily your praise for his post's lucidity.

China's social and governance system is difficult to follow unless you have an interest in Chinese affairs (which I do), and it is most worthwhile when a Chinese national with the command of English which Mr. Zegang has, is able to express its methods and techniques so well.
A further complication is that China is gradually embracing many of the principles of Western capitalism while remaining attached to the ideology of totalitarianism.

Where this has great benefit is in the ability of the government to make policy decisions and implement them without having to seek wide consensus.
I'm also watching the interesting changes in Asian hegemony by which America is facing the demand to alter its dominance, but does not seem to have considered the option of throwing out hegemony and replacing it with a system of alliances which can be tailored specifically for each region or country.

With China as a significant trading partner of Australia, I would like to see more of us making an effort to understand something further of
its culture and languages.

Regards to you and to Mr. Zegang.

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Dear Ponder,

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Thank you for kindly explaining that the author’s correct name is Mr Ren Zegang (according to Western tradition).

I was, in fact, aware that Chinese people place the family name before the given name but as he is announced on OLO both as Ren Zegang and Zegang Ren, I was a little confused as to which was which.

I also have a few Chinese friends and ex-business acquaintances with whom I have had dealings in the distant past.

Though I have also been to China on a couple of occasions, I can’t say I have seen much of the country or met many people. It was always pretty much limited to airport – hotel – office – restaurant – hotel – airport. Except on one occasion when I managed to take an overnight train from Beijing to Xi’an and visited the famous Terracotta Army.

That was many years ago now.

Like you, I continue to take a keen interest in the people, their culture and their country.

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