主题：【原创】闲话1 -- 井底望天

lived outside China before and really had idea about the outside world

One or two leaders (e.g., Mao) can have no language skill or foreign experience, but in your LEADERSHIP group, you must have team members who are sophisticated on foreign language and culture. As China expands its sphere of influence, top leaders have to understand that their moves will have global impact later.

These two, Zhou and Deng, played important roles in contemporary China's history: one neutralized some negative impact of Mao and the other opened up china again so that you can enjoy the much improved life in China or outside China.

BTW, back in Europe, Zhou was well-known in his circle as a very image-conscious person. He dressed well with many girls chasing after him. He definitely still kept that "French" influence in his later life, though he depressed it to fit in with his peasant communist colleagues.

To be frank, when he really dressed up again as China's PM during all those important diplomatic meetings, he shined again among both Asian and Europeans. I have to say that he is really a very presentable Chinese man, in terms of fashion, personal hygiene, gesture, appearance and gentlemanhood. Today's Chinese leadership has a long way to catch up.

During the Geneva conference, Zhou successfully presented China's Liang Shan Bo & Zhu Ying Tia to foreigners and resold the show as China's "Romeo and Juliet"... That kind of social skill is learned from your foreign language/culture study in the past.

Deng, when he visited the U.S. in 1979, kissed the American kids who presented a show to the Sino-American leaders. That political "showmanship" really capture the hearts of American mothers and caused a small sensation when the picture was later published in the Time magazine-- Deng presented himself well as a personable senior leader who really cares and loves kids--not that kind of stereotyped image as a rigid, cold-hearted, blood-thirsty communist killer popular in the western media.

He clearly learned that from American politicians, but he DID NOT DO THAT at home with Chinese kids.

As I said many times before on this forum, language skill opens up one's mind. With language skill, it also comes the cultural knowledge, and more acceptance by both the minorities inside China as well as foreigners outside China.

For a nation destined to rule the world, being narrow-minded and inertia to other people's language and culture can transform small issues into trouble as well as possible political events.

Look at this American empire, you can see narrow-minded Americans did a much worse job compared with their British cousins.