Back Handed Insults

Whoever wrote that speech which little Georgie gave in PR China a couple of days probably had a side bet on how many veiled insults and threats he could get away with.  To give you a few examples: He said: I look forward to meeting later today, your Vice Premier Ma Kai, whose reputation for economic reform and diligence impresses all.  He meant: Ma Kai is the only one we've found so far whom we can trust. He said: We are two ancient and proud civilisations, each whose culture has spread far beyond our shores.  He meant: There are loads of Chinese people who have fled your country and now live abroad. We used to have an Empire. He said: We are two great trading nations, with a shared interest in keeping the trade routes of the world open and free.  He meant: Can you help us out tackling Somali pirates? He said: And we should not be afraid of pointing out where we disagree. But let us do it in a way that is respectful of each other, and tries to understand each other.  He meant: We know that your ruler can and do as they please and listen to nobody, but please stop rubbing our noses in it. He said: There are some in the West who see China growing and they are nervous. They think of the world as a cake - and the bigger the slice that China takes, the smaller the slice that they will get.  He meant: You seem to be taking over the world, it scares us and we hate you for it. He said: I don't want Britain to resent China's success, I want us to celebrate it. I don't want us to try to resist your economic progress, I want Britain to share in it.  He meant: We resent your success but we still want some of your crumbs to fall off onto our table. And unless you push a few crumbs our way, we will do our damnedest to resist your economic process.  He said: As China reforms and grows we are more complimentary. He meant: As China's rulers tighten their grip and reap all the upsides of capitalism and communism, with the downsides being suffered by your people, we are really going to have to start sucking up to you.  He said: And as China becomes a knowledge economy, that partnership can only deepen. He meant: You are poorly educated. More to follow.