The State of China is hoping for big gains on its investment in technology, society, and infrastructure on the mainland, but its progress on this front is going to be much slower than its rapid growth to economic powerhouse.
The reasons are now obvious, but it started with Hong Kong and the pro-democracy protests. Those showed that China’s officials have deep difficulties in handling the matters that relate to coexistence.
While the departure of many Hong Kong citizens indicates that compromise of some kind is possible, the handling of human affairs is still a lesson it needs to learn.
Now, the largest population in the world is seeking more opportunities to share itself. This may happen in China or it may be abroad. The troubles begin here.
The polarised state of affairs from the top down means people will be ready to use any further lapse of public safety or national security as a trigger to further scrutiny of the Communist leadership.
After the scenes in Hong Kong, sparks flying between people of the world and China’s citizens shouldn’t be a palatable prospect for Chinese diplomats. This is a field of endeavour that hasn’t been mastered yet by Beijing, and could do only over a long stretch.