Chinese politics

[Altyre]

Hi guys

Reading all the different posts about which airline is going to buy which other one, I've actually been more worried about another aspect of things.

What do you think are the chances that in a few years the government will impose that most employees at CX are chinese? It would only be logical: CX is based in China, the chinese government owns some of it and it would make sense to me that they ask priority to be given to their nationals for employment.

Joining Cathay is hopefully the last move of my career and although you never know what could happen (Sabena, Swissair...) I'm not too worried about the company ever going bankrupt, but this is a thing that leaves me wondering what the future holds for the expatriate pilots of CX,which represent a huge majority.

[boocs]

If you're that concerned, don't apply!!

[Altyre]

I guess I should've known you can't ask a question without getting smartass answers... And it's too late not to apply, I'm already hired.

[Penske]

I think your question is quite legitimate but I certainly don't lose any sleep over it.

Cathay Paciific and more specifically Swire Group are a part of the culture in Hong Kong. Cathay does all the right things from a political and business sense to thrive in what could become, as you point out, an adversarial environment. There is enough history and enough blurred heritage involved here that Cathay does not, to most people, represent a British Company. The Chinese like success and good old fashion capitalism. Swire group has all this in spades.

In my short time at Cathay I have just started to appreciate just how true the above statement is.

Also, if there were some overnight decree that all Cathay pilots now needed to be Chinese, the company as we know it would cease to exist.

Like most Cathay pilots, I plan to retire with this company. While there are no guarantees in aviation, I feel this is the number one company in the world to work for. As far as things to worry about go, I would think that a bird flu or SARS pandemic is at the top of the list, followed in no particular order by jet fuel prices, chinese-taiwanese war, north Korean Nuclear conflict, lo-cost airlines etc.

But on a positive note, Cathay is geographically located among nearly a quarter of the worlds population. As long as these people need to travel and ship their goods, I think we will be OK.

Enjoy your course in April.

[Left Wing]

Your fears are tottaly justified , living in HKG I think like you all the time. "CHINA SCARES ME"
Guess we are one of guys who new 9/11 was comming only dont know when......sorry to put it so harsh ! But thats the only way some of the blind mice get the message.

Hense the decline in Europeans joining CX, KA and the likes!

[tamalai]

what crap, yes CX is encouraging Chinese to become pilots through the Cadet programme, but how can you replace 2000 odd pilots..........................Cx is employing as many Europeans now as it ever did, just a far greater mix than before, used to be all Brits, Aussies, Canucks & Septics but now you have

Germans, Belgians, French, Italians, Swiss, etc etc..........................................CX is considered to be Hong Kongs NATIONAL Carrier ...................

I'd stick to worrying about the price of beer and what to do when you go through the statutory nasty divorce and EX Mrspilot takes off with your provident fund........................

Far more likely than a chinese takeover....................

[junior_man]

I wouldn't worry about that. Enough Chinese carriers are hiring ex pats now.
I agree, worry about flu, oil prices, Taiwan and G W Bush.

[Altyre]

Your fears are tottaly justified , living in HKG I think like you all the time. "CHINA SCARES ME"

Left Wing, I didn't go that far! I'm not scared of the evil Chinamen, I just wonder whether, eventually, there is a chance we'll all be asked to pack our bags and leave this great company. I'm not losing any sleep over it!

Thanks for the answers anyway.

[404 Titan]

Altyre

The very simple answer to your question is no. Those that are in don’t have anything to worry about in regard to them loosing their job to a local. What I do see happening is that the cadet scheme will probably expand with time and less expats will be employed. The amount of drivers that are going to be required over the next 10 – 20 years still indicates to me though they are going to need drivers from all backgrounds not just the cadet scheme.

[Ya Zi]

China has 800 Western built jets on the inventory. In 3 years time, this will be about 1800. The predicted shortfall of pilots is about 8000.

Don't worry.

[Left Wing]

Jiang Yanyong, the military doctor who blew the whistle on the cover-up of the mainland's Sars outbreak, was freed on Tuesday after eight months of house arrest.

:mad: :mad: :yuk: :yuk: :{ :{ :mad: :ugh: