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PREOCCUPATION IS THEREFORE THAT
OF SURVIVING
AND
MAINTAINING MINIMUM DECENT LIVING STANDARDS. THE WEST
HAS TENDED TO BE RATHER IMPATIENT WITH CHINA AND THESE
DAYS ITS MEDIA IS OFTEN CRITICAL OF CHINA'S BEHAVIOUR AND
POLICIES.
I AM NOT AN APOLOGIST FOR CHINA. BUT I HAVE
BEEN VISITING
HER CITIES OFTEN AND HER COUNTRYSIDE FROM
TIME ΤΟ TIME, AND IN DEALING WITH VARIOUS CHINESE PEOPLE
I HAVE IN MOST CASES FOUND THEM INTELLIGENT, FAIR-MINDED
AND
TRUSTWORTHY.
OTHER ENCOURAGING SIGNS ARE THE
EXPERIENCED GRADUATES OF
INCREASING APPOINTMENT OF
UNIVERSITIES OR TECHNICAL COLLEGES TO LEADERSHIP POSTS
THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND THE EAGERNESS ON THE PART OF
ALL STATE AND CITY FUNCTIONARIES TO SEND THEIR TALENTED
YOUNG PEOPLE OVERSEAS FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION. I SEE IN
CHINA THE SAME EAGERNESS TO ACQUIRE SKILLS AND TECHNICAL
KNOWHOW FROM ADVANCED NATIONS WHICH IS A COMMON FEATURE
OF ALL THE NATIONS OF EAST ASIA.
BECAUSE
THE FUTURE
PICTURE OF KOREA IS LESS PREDICTABLE
ALTHOUGH IT IS A COUNTRY COMPRISING ABOUT SIXTY
MILLION PEOPLE YET IT IS STILL DIVIDED INTO TWO NATIONS.
HOWEVER, IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT KOREANS ARE A TOUGH
PEOPLE (I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ALL HEARD OF "TAEKWANDO"),
AND HARDWORKING AND ARE BRIMMING
THEY ARE VERY SPARTAN