

Chinese goods transform life in Southeast Asia  - rms
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/26/asia/laos.php

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bayareaguy
Here are my two favorite China books at the moment:

\- China Road <http://robgifford.com/about/>

\- Revolution is not a Dinner Party
<http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780805082074-0>

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rms
I had the honor of hearing Yan Xuetong lecture to my group from Pitt at
Tsinghua. He is the Chinese equivalent of one of the Project for a New
American Century guys like Bill Kristol, with a director position at the
influential and powerful Tsinghua University. Nice guy, he got his PhD from
Berkeley... I do wonder if the party will ultimately discriminate against him
because he was an English major as an undergrad. China's current president was
a Hydraulic Engineer.

After his lecture, he took questions and I asked him to describe a modern
utopian state and what it would take to create it. His utopia sounded a lot
like Lennon's vision from "Imagine" and the only thing he could think of that
could get humanity to unite without borders was an alien attack in the style
of Independence day. I'm not sure if that answer was pragmatic or pessimistic.

learn.tsinghua.edu.cn:8080/2000990147/homeindex.htm is his website. He has the
English translation of his book on Chinese National Interests posted for free
there. It is worth skimming, because it became actual Chinese policy.

Also this short essay, where he very indirectly suggests that China become a
more free society.
[http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:vluLjDhp35kJ:www.ccwe.o...](http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:vluLjDhp35kJ:www.ccwe.org.cn/ccweold/en/journal/2/4ThePathforChinatoIncreaseitsSoftPower.pdf+yan+xuetong&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=21&gl=us&client=firefox-a)

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chaostheory
upmodded the post - but I can't help thinking that this is mainly a China PR
piece

~~~
rms
Well, feel good article or not, the main point is interesting -- $440
motorcycles are making an enormous difference in Southeast Asia.

