GOOD MORNING FROM LONDON #250 13 JUNE 2021
This column – 7 early mornings a week – 52 weeks of the year – is focused on China-related issues. Why? First, the rise of China is the over-arching geopolitical issue of Today. It is everywhere – BRI; or China becoming #1 economy in the world at the expense of US; or vaccination distribution; or attempts to curb China with genocide allegations; or Rover on Mars; or the probability of war in the Far East. Secondly, I first visited China in 1965 and have stayed close to developments in the country.
The West has moved forward on the assumption that China is a mirror image of the old USSR and will surely fail as the USSR failed. Wrong assumption – wishful thinking – erroneous policies
First, China may be led by a Communist Party + promote Big Pictures of Marx + Engels but the differences between China and the old USSR are much greater. Second, China has created quite unexpected prosperity for its people, known in 1949 as The Sick Man of Asia.
The West, filled with prejudice against China, misreports China fundamentally, perpetually, unsuccessfully.
China is not Utopia – it has big problems – eg wage differentials and accommodating rising expectations to name just two. But it is here to stay. It leaves a choice going forward – Confront or Cooperate. This column concentrates on this choice.
