Q+A: Chen Liheng

Q: How do you spend your weekend amid your busy schedule?

A: I play piano and guitar with my rock 'n' roll band formed some 40 years ago.

What are your hobbies?

I am more a musical person than a sporting one but, apart from that, I also write a column, sharing my thoughts on life and the economy, for newspapers in Taiwan.

What is the saying that you like the most? Why?

For work, I believe the Buddhist saying that "the most propitious cause is a harmless one". It keeps reminding me not to produce something that would turn into rubbish immediately, tarnishing the environment.

Who is your icon?

I "icon" anyone with a principle or, say, who knows how to live their life. Therefore, my icon could either be Confucius, Zhuangzi (the Chinese Taoist philosopher) or Socrates.

What is the book you are reading now?

Currently, I am reading The Pilgrim Art: Cultures of Porcelain in World History by Robert Finlay. Different people have different perspectives on the industry I am working in. I would love to learn about them all.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

For me, perfect happiness is a kind of feeling, a feeling of contentment. It could be just a cup of instant noodles when you are starving.

What is your greatest fear?

When I was a little boy, I used to be intensely afraid of ghosts but then my big brother told me that if there are ghosts, someone would have been awarded a Nobel Prize for catching one. At my current age (61), I am just afraid there isn't enough time for me to do what I want to do.

What do you consider is the greatest achievement for a person?

To have a sense of mission and to accomplish it.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I urge myself to change every day. I don't think we can expect a different tomorrow with the same self. Of course, changes do not always result in good things but if you never change you never know.

On what occasion do you lie?

I lie almost every day, mostly to my wife (laughs). Like I would tell her I am fine today even if in fact I am exhausted. The bottom line is not to tell a lie that would hurt others.

What's the best way to break the ice with a Chinese businessman you've met for the first time?

I have to admit I am not very good at that. I don't talk much on many social occasions. My approach is putting myself in his shoes, thinking what the businessman would be interested to talk about, in view of his background.

Give three words to describe your impression of Chinese businessmen.

Shrewd, profit-motivated and aggressive.

What kind of experience has shaped your thoughts the most?

It was something my mum did when I was in junior high school. One day, I came back home from school, and my mum was alone at home. She suddenly gave me a NT$50 note and told me I was grown up enough to budget NT$50 pocket money. Before that moment, my pocket money every month was just NT$5. Instead of being thrilled, however, I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities and adulthood that note could mean. Now, looking back, I think my mum was intentionally pushing me to grow up quickly with that NT$50.

(China Daily 05/10/2012 page14)