Magasweran described the scene to Beijing Review: "At that time, it was difficult to tell apart men and women from the back because they were all dressed in the same navy blue workwear."
This was truly unexpected for a wavy-haired young man flying in from a tropical island with a penchant for wearing bright, colorful prints.
But the unexpected can also get unexpectedly good. Later that day, Magasweran was greeted in his mother tongue, the Tamil language, by a staff member from Beijing Language Institute (now Beijing Language and Culture University), where he would be studying standard Chinese for the next 10 months.
"After living here for a while, I learned that printed cloth was rare in China, because it was still the era of the planned economy and people were using cloth tickets, not money, to acquire what they needed," Magasweran explained. "What's interesting was that even when they would buy printed fabrics, they wouldn't use them to make clothes, but to make bed sheets or curtains."
A change of scenery
In 1978, when studying metallurgy in Liaoning Province, Magasweran heard a radio news broadcast which "ignited a fire" in him. It was the announcement about China's reform and opening up. "To be honest, I wasn't sure whether to stay in China or return home after graduation. This news helped me make up my mind. Intuitively I knew it would be a great move, so I decided to return to Beijing and pursue a master's degree," he said.
During his second visit, Magasweran found that Beijing was no longer the place he'd left. "I could see retailers selling small commodities emerging. And not just that, there were people on the street offering to polish your shoes, fix your nails or give your hair a quick trim, and you could pay them directly. All this didn't even exist before."
Magasweran also mentioned Beijing's Friendship Store, the only place that would allow few imported products to be sold to expats exclusively. Then, all of a sudden, as if overnight, people witnessed an increasing number of imported items, with even different brands to choose from. "The changes were all authentic and tangible," he said.
After graduating school, Magasweran obtained a position at the Institute of Computing Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and became involved in the field of science and technology, something he'd been passionate about since childhood. Soon after, another great change profoundly impacted his life—China and the U.S. formally established diplomatic relations in 1979. This major event gave him the opportunity to embark on a whole new journey. Back then, several of the scientific research projects they were working on required American technologies and materials. As the only person in the workplace to hold a foreign passport and thus able to travel abroad easily, Magasweran bit the bullet and began his career as a businessman. His first undertaking mainly focused on technology trading, namely, introducing technical experts from the U.S. to China. Later, he became an IBM distributor in China, a truly hard-earned qualification.
Looking back at early-1980s China, any company in need of a computer had to go through a long "chain of command" to apply for one. Approval processes were complicated and time-consuming, not to mention the fact individuals were not even eligible to buy a computer. Spotting the market gap, Magasweran decided to convince IBM to give him the opportunity to market their products in China. "IBM… didn't even care about China. They said China wasn't ready, China was very backward. There is nobody who needs computers in China," Magasweran said. In his opinion, IBM didn't understand, let alone see, the potential of the Chinese market. So he put in a lot of effort to give presentations talking about China's latest developments and what China's reform and opening up actually meant in practice. Finally, IBM said "yes" to the persistent lobbyist, albeit with some reservations. "Okay, we'll give you the distributorship for China, but not too much support," Magasweran quoted.
Once the orders came rolling in, IBM changed its tune. In the next few years, the company established its own offices and businesses in China. The story currently ends with Chinese technology group Lenovo acquiring IBM's personal computer division in 2005. "This experience was definitely a highlight in my life. It also gave me the solid financial support to continue my research in the field of science and technology," Magasweran added.
At home, Raja Magasweran creates models simulating the installation of solar panels without drilling any holes in the roof, on July 19 (YIN KANG)
Win-win
"I'd achieved something in China, so naturally I wanted to contribute something and the opportunity presented itself," Magasweran said. In the late 1990s, China was preparing to put in its bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics. To guarantee a successful hosting, the Beijing Municipal Government poured massive investment into the city's infrastructure construction, including the updating of all transportation facilities. Magasweran, who'd spent years studying electronic engineering, also got invested in the preparations leading up to this major international event.
As one of the partners of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, his company participated in the development of traffic lights and road planning. "I would say this was the peak of my business. As a result of that, I was even invited to take a front row seat to watch the parade from the viewing platform at Tiananmen Square, when the People's Republic of China celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding [in 1999]," he added.
"I closely follow the Chinese market's every move. As China accelerates its sweeping evolution, both my research and business directions are changing along with it," Magasweran said. "I know the Chinese Government values environmental protection, especially in recent years. So my company has been exploring renewable energy, mainly solar and wind power."
Even though the 70-year-old retiree today is no longer active in management, he is still doing research to keep his brain active and contribute to the company. Compared with the title of "chairman," he prefers his identity to be defined as a husband, father and grandfather.
"When I was a student, I never could've imagined I would be staying here for so long. This country has taken really good care of me. I have a good house, and a family. You couldn't want for anything more," Magasweran added. "I still own a house and properties in Sri Lanka, but China is the country that gives me the chance to bring out my talents; it's my home."
