The strong wine flowed freely and toasts were offered at the slightest provocation. The next day we left Jingsha, stayed a night in Wuhan, and flew to Hong Kong where we spent two days before returning home. Hong Kong is a shoppers paradise and one of the great economic success stories of Asia. It is, however, under the cloud of the Chinese takeover on July 1, 1997. But of course we spoke only to those who still remain in Hong Kong.
China appears to be at a crossroads.
On the one hand, there is a great desire among the people to improve their material standard of living, and many people are working hard to this end. And the influence of Western popular culture is very strong, especially in the major cities. On the other hand, a free enterprise economy will accentuate differences in people based on economic success, and this would undoubtedly undermine the strong sense of community that exists throughout China. For this and other reasons, China has elected to proceed cautiously with its reforms. Perhaps this is a wise choice.