Letter to a friend Letter to a friend from Jean JeanDevos Devos
My Dear Friend My dear Chinese friend Lim.
My Dear Friend
As I am sure you remember very well Lim, we get to know each other through a China- Korea submarine cable project. I was at that time – must be around 1989 – in charge of ASN ( Alcatel Submarine Networks) and you were the key person within “Botany Bay” We had made a major move-being China-Telecom. a European company- in implementing a factory in I published recently a modest novel, Australia to address the Asia-Pacific market.whose My owntitle corporate management had “supported me” in this where is Botany Bay. It is the place in Australia strategy but somewhat like the “rope supports the hanger!” They were more thanAlcatel sceptical!established I had myself a discovered Asia through the “Chinese world.“ My facsubmarine cable very first submarine contract was for a small project in tory in 1989Aas part Taiwan to connect Taipei with Matsu Island. very hotof subject between Taiwan and mainland China! Sorry its contract for the Lim. Tasman 2 link. In this But when our competitors weresame addressing bay, Asia where two through or from Japan, we at ASN approached Asia centuries before through these “Chinese” experiences. I decided that the this China- Korea project was the opportunity to French expedition demonstrate to the world and more precisely to my “La Pérouse” own corporate management that “my” strategymade was of two ships, La Boussole
right. And you, my dear Lim, you were very quick to understand the advantages you could gain from this ambition. The Japanese industry could not easily accept to see ASN walking in in their “garden.” and l’Astrolabe, landed 1788 to discover that Cook around SoCaptain you get this smallwas but already challenging shallowbearing water the project at aflag. very So competitive I had for no choice British Botanyprice Bay and is now me the but to make sure we were delivering the best possible symbol of aadream becomes a reality! service to such strategicwhich forthcoming customer. Tasman 2 has been yet another chapter in this long Anglo-French competition! The award to Alcatel came out as a big surprise to many, including inside Alcatel. Everybody was naturally expecting the British to win that battle, and such an expectation was at that time very logical. There were so many difficulties and misunderstanding between Australia and France, the main one being the French presence in the Pacific area, the worse being the nuclear bomb experiment in Tahiti! The sad Rainbow
Few years later, actually in 1997, I was extremely Warrior event was still in everyone’s memory. It proud and moved when we signed in Beijing the is for for these reasons among STC (UK) contract the Singapore to Chinaothers SMW3that extension. You, Lim, you stand up, during the huge banquet, rejected the Alcatel‘s suggestion to come with a to translate into Chinese, my few public words. I joint bid, to that offer “European” solution. remember saying thisa contract was allowing me and my company enter the “forbidden city,” One oftothe winning factors hasinviting been the me to pass through “the door of the perfection” and Such a factory thatPort-Botany after this verycable tough factory. competition it was now timewas a to enjoy “peace and harmony.” as Tyco, strong requirement from Later OTC on, (now Telstra) and I was glad to participate to the construction of the the Australian Government. China-US loop, where you forced all the suppliers to cooperateAlcatel for the best yourmost project.motivated. Such a wasofthe expand its influence in the Thefactory Pacific could route will soon overpass the Atlantic as Pacific the where the three other players thicker route and than the leading one. were We allhistorically expect a new to be builtin there a new transpacific wellcable established thissoon, region, which represents highway, a collaborative effort associating all the a large part of their market. They saw this Asian countries. factory as a risk for their existing facilities! Today, Lim, your country, your continent is really the SubOptic in Versailles cameYou at are theat right “Empire of the‘87 Middle of the World.” the time. very heart of the Asia-Pacific region, now the centre It is where the Australian teams discovered the of gravity of the world. We Europeans are slowly French model, a though close not cooperation between understanding this even yet seeing what it really mean for us. Shanghai is the new Athens or the Alcatel and FT, exactly what they wanted to esnew Venice and the Pacific Rim is the Mediterranean tablish their country. basin of thisin 21st century. But this is putting on your shoulder My a huge responsibility: is but friend, things Our are common changedfuture since, in your hands. You need to invent our future. one thingneed stays you offer something, I definitively totrue: attendWhen PTC.06! Seethe youreader there Lim. can see between the lines if you are or not genuinely motivated and sincere. Then your offer becomes really attractive and this opens Jean Devosthe route to “Botany Bay.” Submarcom consulting.
Jean Devos See you soon.
Jean Devos Submarcom Consulting
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