China was essentially on the right path until Xi Jinping arrived - he has stopped the county's progress toward a true market economy and changes to the laws are going to make him very hard to remove. I'm not sure whether to formally label him a "bad guy" or not, but Chinese I speak to privately hate him and consider him a dictator, not a president.
“China was essentially on the right path...”
That’s debatable, but I know what you mean.
“... until Xi Jinping arrived”
Yes. NeoMaoist.
The first tier cities are nice. Every modern convenience found in every western city. And just as expensive.
They are the jewels of China.
Its odd to see the cities change as you go down the tiers. Very indicative of a top down planning system. Small apartments, small bathrooms, dirtier and louder.
The countryside is the worst of all. Not sure what China will do for food once the current generation of farmers dies off because the youngsters are heading for the cities.
All in all China is both a third and first world country.
I’m thinking Xi Jinping sees himself as the next-generation communist. My understanding is he gave a long speech to the party about “communism with Chinese characters” and laid out his plan for the future.
I have no problem calling him the bad guy. He has the potential to be as disastrous as the “Great Leap Forward”.