First post here on RPGWatch. Love RPGs and live in China.
There have been many positive ideas thrown around in this thread, but as someone close enough to deal with the Chinese government daily in my work, I feel like there is an important trend in China that many people around the world miss.
As China grows, both in maturity as a modern nation and in terms of GDP, the continually reform their systems of governance and the policies under them to best ensure that the Chinese people can feel the benefit of these increases. There is one important source that China draws these reform policies from: the United States. Monthly, China becomes more and more of a mirror of American policies and ideas. The current plans for regulation and consumer litigation are built around slowly adapting the American structure. The interest in a controllable representative government that is party limited is built on looking at what works well in the United States.
Of course, China will always retain "Chinese characteristics" for better and for worse, but their development is very Yankee-centric. I imagine Peter Hessler could roll out a cash cow book on "Chinese Exceptionalism" with ease.
My message: if you want to understand your new world leader, be more familiar with the one you have now.
