Chapter 1 China’s Economic Hammer
Manila, Philippines, March 1996
U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton readied herself to testify in Washington, D.C., amid the spreading Whitewater scandal. On the other side of the globe, I was living in Manila, capital of the Philippines and “Pearl of the Orient.” In both capitals and at discos around the world blared the pop song Macarena by one-hit wonder Los del Río. Schoolkids and adults alike shook to the Spanish beat in synchronized dance.
It was one of those searing hot days in Manila, where you can fry an egg by cracking it open onto the scorching black tar of the street. I had just finished lecturing at Trinity College of Quezon City, where I was spending the semester, when I made my way to the Manila Hotel. ...
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