[majewsky]

> Can China be a global power? I don’t think so.

China arguably is a global power today. I think what Ai Weiwei means is if China can be a long-lasting empire like the Roman or the British Empire.

Also, this reminds me of the classic Upton Sinclair quote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it." The man being Weiwei in this case.

[hangonhn]

The British Empire is not all that long lasting compared to some of the Chinese ones that has existed in the past. China as a civilization has arguably outlived everyone. (The Roman empire, if you include the Byzantine, is arguably the longest lasting empires).