It will not be long before people will start to ask each other the question which of the two superpowers they prefer: China or the United States. It will be a personal one and most likely not to be answered by a shrug of the shoulders: the differences between the two are just too striking.
When George W. Bush met Hu Jintao – the president of China – in Washington in 2003, the two of them exchanged personal thoughts and views in an open and mutually friendly atmosphere . That is according to the statement made by The White House afterwards. The conversation between both leaders was later revealed in more detail.
“The upmost important within a society”, stated Bush confidently after taking a sip of his tea, “is liberty and the freedom of speech.” He knew what he was talking about since he himself had delivered liberty and freedom to the people of Iraq.
Hu Jintao replied in his humble voice after a moment of silence. His modesty could not, however, camouflage his firm inclination.
“I do not agree. The most important is harmony between the people that make up the society.”
For him and the majority of Chinese people in China, that is the end of the discussion. Contrarily, for many outside of China, that marks just the beginning of one: primarily through websites that cannot go beyond the Great Firewall of China.
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