I agree with Mat,
I think China is running things a lot better than say, India, both countries share a similar population mass, but are chalk and cheese different. India being a democracy, i wouldn't say has really made it a better place, China is far more focused on its long term goals, and its people patriotically follow that leadership.
China has softened a lot over the last 20 years and has managed to become a capitalist version of its pre 1990 self. Things have improved, and its not like any of our nations have not massacred their share of innocent people in the past.. Remember Gandhi PIN and Drumbrake ? Remember the massacres the British orchestrated in India early last century ? 1000's of unarmed people mowed down by British infantrymen, or the 1000's of African slaves that the Southern Americans lynched from tree's around the same era ? Or a thousand other such atrocities that all of our ancestors committed over the course of human history.
I for one am sick to death of hearing about Tienanmen square, especially while China has made leaps and bounds in its development, especially when our ancestors have killed unarmed crowds too!
Now, if China had remained the same iron fist wielding nation of pre 1989, unchanged etc, sure then no argument, bitch away, but if your country has massacred unarmed people at any stage of documented history, where do you get off now ?
Why is Tienanmen Square such a sensitive topic to some foreigners, when their own people have committed far worse atrocities in the historic past, which screams irony to me. Best just to leave sleeping dogs lie in my opinion, and enjoy the current progress made..
China is on course to greatly improving the lifestyles of its people, and if it can do it under a modified guise of communism, then so be it.
I am not an advocate of the existing western democracy as per the American design, as i feel it leaves it self wide open to be abused by the rich, to make their life easier, at the expense of the poor/working classes.