Nine years after Miroslav Mihić (www.uvozizkine.com) gave an interview for CRI (Chinese Radio International for the Serbian-speaking region), Mr. Josip Glušac recently gave an interview for CRI Croatia. We are presenting the full interview here.
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The Interview of Mr. Glušac for CRI Croatia
One tourist visit to the People's Republic of China was enough for Josip Glušac to decide to live and work in this most populous country in the world. He also became a successful entrepreneur. This all happened 12 years ago, in February 2009, when Josip arrived at Beijing International Airport with a return ticket and just 1,000 euros in his pocket.
"Many people in Croatia said that China is very cheap and that one could live comfortably with little money. But that was not the case. Even a night in a mid-range hotel in Beijing without breakfast cost 50 euros, which is not exactly cheap," says Josip Glušac. He continues: "My plan was to travel to China with 1,000 euros for a three-month stay. It wasn’t easy. When I arrived in Beijing in February, it was cold and snowy, and I thought I might return to Croatia earlier than planned. After two freezing days, I saw a report about the city of Sanya on Hainan Island. It was summer there, with temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius. The next day I took a flight to Sanya. The moment I landed and felt the tropical air, I knew this was the place for me. I quickly found a hostel to stay for a few days before securing a longer-term accommodation. I spent three months immersing myself in the local culture, meeting as many people as possible, learning about their life and customs. During the day, I spent most of my time on the beach, swimming and playing volleyball. Evenings were filled with street barbecues and local delicacies. The three months in Sanya flew by, and I had to return home, but I immediately knew I would come back the same year, this time hoping to stay longer and find work," he says.
Josip Glušac completed high school in Otočac and later studied at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics (FOI) in Varaždin, graduating with a degree in computer science in 2008.
After returning to China, he initially worked in marketing for an American company, where he met his future wife. However, this second stay in China was brief.
"Together with my wife, we returned to Croatia in the second half of 2010, hoping to start a business there. These efforts proved unsuccessful, so in 2011 we returned to China and founded our first company, Guangzhou Gabriel Import & Export Co., LTD, which focused on importing and exporting various goods and services. To expand further, we quickly opened a company in Hong Kong called Aoluola International Trade Limited. Finally, in 2019, we established Sanya Gabriel Import & Export Co., LTD in the city of Sanya. The whole province of Hainan became a Free Trade Port, so relocating our business from Guangzhou to Sanya was a logical step. We have been living here ever since," explains Josip.
This young entrepreneur settled with his family in a city he fell in love with at first sight.
"Sanya is a fantastic small city where my children were born, and it has become our home. I have traveled to many parts of China, but Sanya remains my favorite. For those who haven’t visited, it’s often called the Chinese Hawaii," Josip says.
His company has been thriving for over a decade, and the pandemic had minimal impact on his business.
"Over the ten years I have been involved in international trade, I have gained immense experience working with people from all over the world. My motto is speed and quality. If a product is made in China and required by a client, I will find it. My work is very interesting because I constantly deal with new products, which keeps the routine at bay. Factory inspections and quality control are also fascinating, as they allow me to understand the production process in depth. Although 2020 brought COVID-19, the impact on my business was minor—sales were down only about ten percent compared to 2019. Life in Hainan during the pandemic was quite normal. We only had two months of strict measures, which everyone followed diligently, and the virus was quickly contained. In Sanya alone, only 55 cases were recorded, and across Hainan Island, home to nine million people, there were fewer than 200 cases. I must admit the Chinese authorities handled the situation very well," emphasizes Glušac.
Josip’s company imports goods from many countries, including Croatia.
"We have been importing Croatian wines for seven years, working with five wineries so far. This is not an easy task, and without a national strategy and active winemakers’ associations, achieving significant success in the Chinese market would be difficult. So far, we have imported from Bodren (Hum na Sutla), Jako-Stina (island of Brač), Pahlinić (Pelješac peninsula), and Kalazić (Zmajevac in Baranja near Osijek). We cooperate very well with them, and their wines are highly recommended. There are many other excellent Croatian wineries we are in contact with, but we have not imported from them yet," Josip Glušac explains.
Being thousands of kilometers away from his native Lika, Josip rarely visits Croatia. How does he keep in touch with family and friends?
"We don’t go to Croatia often. The last visit was in 2019. I usually stay in touch with family and friends through WeChat or other messaging apps," he says.
Besides running his business successfully, Josip also pursued further education in China.
"I continued studying and earned a bachelor's degree in economics. Later, I completed a master's degree in international business. Last year, I obtained another master’s degree focusing on 'How to Lobby in the People’s Republic of China.' Continuous learning is essential to stay professional and successful. I even prepared an article on 'How to Lobby in China,' under Professor Dr. Boris Cizelj, which was published in Wall Street International magazine," concludes Josip Glušac.
Source: Croatian.cri.cn (Ivica Korman)
