The Beeb are always conducting little surveys. Here's one they did on China: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7540871.stm. It's not great news really for China, there's a lot of suspicion out here. The attitude of various countries' reflected economic relationships, illustrating, I think, the focus on China es an economic entity only. You never really hear about China the political player, or about China's culture or ethnicity. No one complains about the Sinisation of the world, except in Tibet. The Olympics are supposed to be their coming-out ceremony, but it emphasises their urgent need for such a thing.

Interestingly I was reading recently about the phenomenol numbers of classical music students in China in comparison to Europe, even in proportionate terms. It appears that China will be the saviour of the great Western pieces of classical music whilst Europe's superior culture, metaphorically burns them.

The last edition of the moral maze on bbc radio 4 discussed China in the world if anyone is interested in it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/religion/moralmaze.shtml

Here's a little video on piano sensation Lang Lang with his red piano. Barenboim says he's good, but I haven't listened myself yet.

Relentless negative coverage as there is about China always makes me suspicious, but there are things there that are deeply wrong there, like the system of factory labour that seems close to slavery. China is a centralised state that never did away with capitalism and private ownership.

The Chinese would say that they have brought 40 million people out of poverty. They are to be praised for their determination to control population, but not the way they have done it.

The attacks in Kashgar by a previously US backed islamic group is an indication of pressure on China from the US that is likely to become more intense.

I know much less about China than I would like. I'm hoping this thread will be an education for me.