Unravelling the host of contradictions that embody modern China

I SUPPOSE every nation has its own contradictions, but my recent visit to China seemed to throw up more than most, and perhaps if we understand these, we can begin to understand some of the mysteries of modern China.

Perhaps the first contradiction which hits hard is the contrast between the obvious evidence of pollution, and cleanliness of the streets. We spent two weeks in the southern city of Guangzhou, in temperatures between 23 and 28C most days, yet never s...