The Great Innovation Wall of China

Last week I was struck by two completely contrasting views of China today. They evoke an image of the Great Innovation Wall of China, one that constrains instead of sustains the domestic creation of disruptive ideas.

First, the rise and fall of Bo Xilai—a story of what seems to be power at its worst. When any leader believes he or she is above the law, iron rule is an almost inevitable result. This desire to completely control the world has proved to be the undoing of one of China’s most successful and aspiring leaders.