With the Summer 2008 Olympics well under way in Beijing, China, it’s as good a time as any to contemplate something we’ve heard and read so much about in recent years: the emergence of China as a real superpower on the world scene.
First, the opening ceremonies held at the Olympic complex a couple of Fridays ago were likely the best I’ve ever seen. The creativity and the pageantry were obvious, but they also revealed a Chinese people that take great pride in their country and have a keen awareness of the ups and downs of their long history.