The woman who was arrested, by the way, is the daughter of the company’s founder. Some bigwigs in China may see the arrest as a some kind of calculated move against their national image and international influence.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I’ve wondered if there might be some continuing vestiges of empire in the national psyche over there.
“It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I’ve wondered if there might be some continuing vestiges of empire in the national psyche over there.”
In my view, China’s never gotten over their empire tendencies. They’re still fully authoritarian, have elected a de-facto president-for-life with Xi, and are exerting their power and influence over their smaller neighbors and disputed territories. Same with Russia, although they’re considerably less powerful.