Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Hu's with Gates?
In the category "Commies In Name Only," may I present Chinese President Hu Jintao, who broke bread at the home of Bill and Melinda Gates last night. I appreciate that Chinese Communists doffed the Mao suits twenty years ago, but it is still remarkable to me that China has so embraced, er, capitalism that it is politically propitious for its notionally communist president to eat dinner at the home of the richest American capitalist of the era. And while he was there, Hu managed to hump Starbucks, the ubiquitous American brand of the new millenium:
Speaking to business executives, politicians and other dignitaries during a dinner on Tuesday at the home of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Hu expressed his desire to be a regular at the ubiquitous coffee-store chain.
"Starbucks coffee shops have mushroomed in China's cities," said the Chinese leader through a translator.
"If I were not serving in this office, I would certainly prefer to go into one of the coffee shops run by Starbucks," said the usually reserved Hu, drawing laughter from the crowd, which included Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz.
If you are choosing between a poor China and a rich, indulgent, latte-sipping China whose leaders want to hang with ultra-billionaires, it seems to me that it is obvious which we should prefer.
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