Anyone who hasn’t been to China recently ought to absolutely positively go. If you expect anything like Eastern European conditions, think again. The irony is that even though China is still ruled by a Communist Party, the economy has become MUCH more free-market than anything found in the CIS. It may not quite compare to America, but the place is buzzing! They claim yearly GDP growth of 7-12% (depending on the source), and the place certainly looks it!

This report covers Beijing and the Great Wall, Shanghai and Suzhou (an hour’s train ride from Shanghai), the Yang Tse river between Yichang and Chonqing, and the South-West (Kunming, Lijiang and Dali). The trip took place June 5 - June 20, 2001.

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