Chere voyageuse

1 Evening. Darkness. The quiet of the conservatory. One or two little jobs on the laptop. The Times. Anotole Kaletsky has just explained why the British economy is doing better than the Government, the newspapers, and others say it is doing. A few words to China. Then to bed with a book.

2 Years ago Walter Lippman was a well-respected commentator on public affairs in the USA. He had access to presidents and all others. As a old man, he was asked by a group of post-graduate students at a seminar what he feared most (in the realm of international relations). He replied 'The awakening of China'.

3 I can imagine that, from a Chinese point of view, the dominating feature of the relationship between China (the government of China, the phrase being subject to all the qualifications you can think of) and the Western world has been one of Chinese inferiority, Western superiority. One of the qualifications must be the the special case of Japan, a country which, since the formal invasion of China in 1930, has sought territorial conquest in China. Japan and China were at war from that date to 1945.

3.1 The US government sought to sustain the Nationalist (Koumingtang) government in its war both against Japan and against the Communist opposition. (The Long March) As you know, the Communist armies were victorious by 1947, and the remnants of the Nationalist armies fled to Taiwan (Formosa). The loss of China, as right-wing commentators and politicians in the USA viewed the outcome, was seen as a signal defeat for Western interests worldwide.

4 Continue to recall the Three Emperors. It is a point of connexion between us. We both have a recollection of the scale of China, of the bureaucracy, of the power of the central government (the emperor, in whatever guise), of the reach of the central government. Keep those ideas in mind as you look about you and seek to make sense of what you see.

5 Meanwhile, be assured: the Maypole bridge club continues.

6 So does the rain. I am inclined to cycle to Westerham and to cycle north of the town. However, a northward cycle-ride will be a determined effort to cycle up Westerham hill. The hill is just two-lanes wide, and there are bends. A scarcely-moving cyclist could accumulate ten cars behind, perhaps 15, or even 20. But Determined Cyclist, eyes not to the front but down to the front wheel, will be uncaring. (However, there is no verge, so when the effort, however determined, is insufficient for the task, there will be nothing to moderate DC's fall either against the trees or into the road.

6.1 Ah, ever ready to learn, DC will take an umbrella. Imagine the effect of a following wind upon DC's progress.

7 I am also inclined towards a closing swim in Pells. But I am running out of days.

8 Write more about the Great Wall.

Le pantoufland
(aka stay-at-home)