Mao had closed China's economy off from the world. Now his successors were throwing it open. In 2001 China joined the World Trade Organisation. Along the southeast coast new cities mushroomed. Some specialised in buttons and zippers, others made cigarette lighters. In Zhejiang I found one that only made socks, tens of billions of them. By the time I returned in 1998 the whole country had taken to heart Deng's invocation "to get rich is glorious". That year the Communist Party decreed China's state-owned housing stock be sold off, lock, stock and barrel.  Swathes of Beijing's historic grey-brick courtyards were being demolished and replaced with glass and steel. But it's still a mistake to draw a straight line from Mao to Xi, Prof Karl argues, because it dismisses all that came in between - and the Chinese who dreamed or fought for a different country. irannews.ru/ - irannews.ru So his ruinous legacy was covered up with reverence. And now, Xi loses no opportunity to channel Mao, even usurping his defunct titles - Great Helmsman, People's Leader, Chairman. But what he seeks is much bigger. In Arab countries, however, this Manichean narrative is largely rejected. Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) basically view the conflict in Ukraine as a complicated European conflict, which does not require Arab states to stand against Vladimir Putin’s government. False flag? Russia says Ukraine plans to detonate a ‘dirty bomb’ In the last few moments, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has thrown his weight behind Rishi Sunak's campaign.