China is like Tunisia or Egypt.
In October 2010, the son of Li Gang, a top police officer, killed a pedestrian while allegedly drink-driving.
As he sped off, he shouted: "report me if you dare.
"My dad is Li Gang!"
The phrase became famous.
(China Drunk-Driver Case Hits a Nerve)
On 22 January 2011, a group of animators in Beijing released a satirical cartoon called "Greeting Card for the Year of the Rabbit.
In this cartoon, a boy dreams of violent revolution against a corrupt, abusive government run by tigers.
"The tigers are a thinly veiled representation of Chinese authorities." (China Nerve)
Photo: http://nomoreccp.wordpress.com/
The Economist points out some of the problems facing China. (Asia's new aristocrats.)
1. China has 800,000 dollar millionaires.
BUT
China has 400m people who live on less than $2 a day.
The disparity between rural and urban incomes is vast.
2. The children of some of China's leaders 'have amassed huge fortunes in murky ways'.
3. 'The party's tentacles are everywhere'.
People must avoid offending it.
'The party is accountable neither to voters nor to the law.'
'There is little to prevent its bosses from abusing their power.'
In Corruption Threatens China's Future, Minxin Pei describes corruption in China.
Reportedly, in China, "roughly 10 percent of government spending, contracts, and transactions is estimated to be used as kickbacks and bribes, or simply stolen." (Corruption Threatens China’s Future.)
The Chinese are said to be the Jews of Asia.
And just as certain Jews are controversial in the USA, and in Russia, certain Chinese are controversial in Asia.
In countries like Indonesia, certain Chinese-Indonesian businessmen are less than popular because of an an alleged lack of scruples and an alleged worship of money.
China_from_the_Eyes_of_the_Flying_Tigers_1944-1945_54.jpg
China's achilles' heel may be a lack of scruples by certain businessmen.
Wong Kwong-yu, also known as Huang Guangyu, was China's richest man.
He was chairman of the national retailer GOME which makes electric appliances.
He was eventually arrested as part of a probe into share price manipulation.
(Corruption Charges for China's Richest Man? - BusinessWeek)
Other top tycoons, such as Yang Bin, Gu Chujun and Zhen Zhongyi, have previously 'come to grief' for alleged corruption or corporate mismanagement.
China's banks have developed a reputation for wobbly deals.
In 2008 it was reported that the Chinese government had had to "take some US$130 billion in problem assets and inject over US$20 billion in capital into the Agricultural Bank of China..." (Going, going, GOME)
In Indonesia, ethnic Chinese make up less than 4 percent of the population but reportedly control around 70 percent of the major businesses.
Reportedly, twelve of the 15 wealthiest families are Chinese.
Chinese oligarchs are influential in countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia.
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