When I first came to China, the conventional wisdom was that pizza would never catch on here.

FORBES: Pizza Anyone?

Beijing (CNN) -- When I first came to China 39 years ago, airlines distributed cigarettes free of charge during flights.

CNN: China clouded in cigarette smoke

When I first came to China almost 20 years ago, a Chinese partner could not be expected to make its equity contribution in a joint venture in cash.

FORBES: China's Coming M&A Boom

Chinese companies today have much more cash than when I first came to China, and are now able to hire the best people in the world and to acquire overseas companies as a way to gain access to needed technology.

FORBES: Innovation and IPR in China: Part II

In China, I came to love Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein.

NEWYORKER: The Olympian

On my recent trip to China where I met about a dozen Chinese Internet companies, there was probably one guy whose name came up more than any other: Jack Ma of Alibaba Group.

FORBES: What Will Jack Ma Do Next With Yahoo!?