Chinese Terminology: Jump into the sea

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02:02

It's time for our special series "Chinese Terminology", We have 18 special terms this time around, and we're bringing you a fresh one every day. Today Jeff Moody looks at the phrase "Jump into the sea". I'm Pan Deng, Thanks for your watching, bye.

Jumping into the sea is obviously pretty risky, especially if you can't swim! But jumping into the sea is exactly what many Chinese people have done - although not literally. The phrase "jumping into the sea" also means quitting your job to start your own business.

When China's reform and opening up policy was launched, many people quit their secure state-owned enterprise or government jobs, to try their luck in the relatively-unknown private sector. They recognized the potential of a market economy in a country the size of China. This would have been seen as an unconventional, or even a bold move in China of the early 1980s.

But times have certainly changed since then - and from a few isolated cases 40 years ago, there are now millions of people who dare to jump into the sea of business every year. In some places in China, nearly everyone works in the private sector. Back in the 80s, it was a time of real change and excitement in China - and that excitement is still here today.