anskyber, as you an old hand on this forum should know it's a no win no fee when the odds are 2 (or more) to one.

Countries are pieces of land.People are individuals.I would not intervene, to stop a violent crime.You could end up dead.China is a big patch of land on planet Earth...that's all we know.

Forum Editor: If it was a level playing field I probably would. And you can argue until you're blue in the face that it is. But I have been observing the debating tactics here for many years and can categorically conclude that it isn't.

When you're cornered you can turn very nasty indeed, and usually you're backed up by one or more sychophants. Which is why we've lost into cyberworld many good debaters.

Call it paranoia if you will, but I know differently.

Incidentally, how many years did you live in China for you to know so much about the Chinese character?

anskyber

I think that you have made very relevant good points regarding "holidays there,business trips or have lived there".

When people go on holiday, they are usually provided with the good things of the area, because that is what brings the tourist money in. With regards to business trips, then on the main, its good hotels and all the provisions relating to commerce, which again is related to finance, and you usually only see what is allowed or what time permits. That taxi cab ride from hotel to meeting point doesn't always reveals what the true pictures is or might be!.

When you live and possibly work in an area, then common local knowledge prevails. You can then get to see a country, warts and all. In an occupation that I participated in for many years, I travelled extensively, usually at short notice, and working for governments or projects involving governments, or very rich enterprises. Throughout that time, my colleagues and I could and did see things first hand, which no simple internet research would perhaps never reveal, because it all came down to local knowledge and assistance, which to me is/was the most important thing.

Trying to argue or portray this to some people, only meets with scorn, instead of understanding.