correction

 *correction from earlier post during India Pakistan confrontation. So, I gather from independent sources that Indian jets were shot down with latest Chinese tech -pointing to failure in intelligence gathering of technological upgradation by adversary. The earlier reports were therefore correct (but that doesn't exonerate the media which didn't have independent confirmation). This blogger stands corrected.  

The Chinese rise

Clearly authoritarian China is not only becoming a regional threat but an international danger. China is replacing US (and with madcap semiliterate US president and his lunatic base the demise is faster than expected) as a major centre of technological advancement, sports as well as culture -specifically contemporary Chinese literature. There is a realtime shift happening. If only China was democratic and inclusive country it would make world a better place. Sincerely hope people have more say in decision making. More than a decade back I mentioned about Chinese writing https://depalan.blogspot.com/2014/07/watch-out-for-chinese-talent.html I was reading Yu Hua, he is terrific. Since then I mentioned about Chinese American writer Ted Chiang (as also the movie Arrival, and later the connection between LLM so on) https://depalan.blogspot.com/2021/07/story-of-your-life.html Ken Liu (Paper Menagerie, really haven't read much as I am no longer into serious science fiction). 

Cixin Liu, the China based writer has emerged as significant science fiction writer. The Three Body Problem is a well known work (now available on Netflix), an aware sensitive writer with enhanced skills (interestingly in the original Chinese version he put the criticism of communist regime somewhere in the middle to hoodwink censor). The Three Body Problem is also a sophisticated metaphor against forces working against critical thinking and therefore periling  human race. I also happen to read graphic novel Yuanyaun's Bubbles -a science fiction story of possibilities, I like the sensibilities here. Ofcourse it is an interesting story but the mindset that is being presented is what makes it valuable. Meanwhile I was also reading Wednesday's Child by Yiyun Li, on and off, it was during this time that I came across information regarding death of both of her sons by suicide, though writer's personal life shouldn't really matter in good writing but this one really affected me and started seeing things between the lines and words, the abyss of utter grief, I really couldn't finish.    

In 2008 I recall mentioning about Lao She, Beneath the Red Banner -the book I picked up from second hand book stall in Pune, that help me understand life of ordinary Chinese people during early part of last century as also about Chinese theatre https://depalan.blogspot.com/2008/04/meet-lao-she-shu-quingchu.html. In the same blog I mentioned about Pearl Buck (and a lucky find My Several World at second hand book seller on Bangalore pavement -quite coincidently today I saw a pic of Pearl Buck's The Good Earth on Lahore pavement). Pearl Buck has written extensively about China. Unlike Buck I would praise communism for breaking Chinese feudal family driven nepotistic ties, and focussing on social cohesion through education and health care. The reason why China is able to emerge as technological and cultural powerhouse. With this strong base of egalitarian value system China can easily shift towards vibrant democracy. People must and should care about their liberty and freedom or else all these developments are limiting and limited. Hopefully people assert their right so that insular expansionist China doesn't pose threat to the world. Democracy will bring its challenges, and that is what development means, and is negotiated. It brings possibilities that is inconceivable in controlled society.  In this era we need more "carefree and relaxed" people.        

Post script: In one entry in 2008 https://depalan.blogspot.com/2008/04/great-chinese-civilization.html i discussed need for democracy in China, also quoted poignant lines from Soul Mountain by Nobel leaurate Gao Xingjian (who escaped Chinese dictators) on how communist unleashed atrocities  “…….he said that hiding in the cabin he had witnessed a terrible massacre during Cultural revolution…. people were tied with wires at the wrists in groups of three and forced into the river by spraying them with machine gun fire, if one was hit all the three fell. They were like fish on the hook, they splashed and struggled for a while, then floated down like a dead dogs. Oddly, the more the people killed off the more people there are, whereas with the fish the more that are caught the fewer there are. Wouldn’t it be better if it were the other way around?...”