I keep an eye on events in China - Chinese expansionism is one of the underlying themes of 'Gate of Tears' and 'Sicilian Channel'. So, I read the South China Morning Post from time to time. The SCMP used to be one of Rupert Murdoch's organs but is now owned by the Alibaba Group - one of the world's largest internet conglomerates.
Why did I check the ownership? I checked because today's edition is doing a 'drains up' on the Cultural Revolution, which started 50 years ago, and I wondered why the SCMP would dredge it up. The SCMP is Hong Kong based - that is, within the People's Republic. The story included the fact that 1.7 million Chinese were killed during the 10 year upheaval (official death toll). The SCMP has interviewed former Red Guards and rebels for the story.
So, is this story driven by Jack Ma (founder of Alibaba and a very rich man) or is it driven from elsewhere - i.e. within the Chinese Government? Let's face it, they both need each other - Alibaba was founded on providing a sales portal for Chinese business, and China needs the trade to fuel its growth. Symbiosis. Therefore, one cannot but help conclude that the current Chinese Government is disowning the Cultural Revolution in a very big way.
It is clear that China's rebranding of itself is continuing apace, and although its growth has slowed to 6% it will surely overtake the US in the next decade. The forecast for 2016 from the IMF is that China will have a GDP of $12 trillion, as against $19 trillion for the US.
