China's leadership is emulating, and striving to surpass, the United States. From sending rockets into space, to excessive conspicuous consumption and even energy wastage, China is racing against America in everything. There are even replica White House residences available for China's new rich, all the way from Beijing across to Xishuangbanna prefecture.
China can now tick off one more box on that list. On February 2, Premier Wen Jiabao became the second world leader to have a shoe thrown at him. To date, only former US president George W. Bush has been a shoe target, although Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Benny Dagan, also dodged a flying shoe while speaking at Stockholm University on February 4.
Mr Wen was speaking at Cambridge University when a protester hurled a shoe at him, shouting 'how can the university prostitute itself with this dictator?' before being hauled away. Chinese in the audience called the act 'disgraceful'.
But is this shoe throwing all antics or should we be looking at some deeper messages being hurled with the footwear? What message should China pick up?
Whether it realises it or not, China is at a difficult crossroads in its relations with the west, and this will only grow more complicated in the coming months as nations, strained by the global financial crisis, look to blame others.
China has massive foreign-exchange reserves and trade surpluses, but adheres to draconian controls over the media and people's beliefs. From the perspective of the western media and politicians, this is a deadly combination. Amid the global downturn, China will become a target of wrath, as did its premier.
The Cambridge incident, intentionally or otherwise, connects China's policies with those of Mr Bush's neoconservative administration.
