Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar Assad (AP)
[China's] charm offensive has been so successful, in fact, that some countries see China as a model for development. In Africa and Latin America, where liberal economic reforms failed to pull nations out of poverty, there’s now a growing opposition to free market reforms and even to democracy. … China, by contrast, has managed to slowly open its economy without freeing its political system. Officials in Vietnam, Syria, Iran and other nations have studied China’s economic policies, and on visits to booming Chinese cities, African leaders marvel at China’s growth. "You are an example of transformation," Madagascar President Marc Ravalomanana told Chinese leaders during a May summit in Shanghai. "We in Africa must learn from your success." Access the full article>>