Chinese Whispers

As Germany celebrates the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dramatic changes brought by the events of 1989, the anniversary will pass quietly in China.

Top technology firms in China now account for almost half of the top-20 global firms. But as these companies seek to develop globally, their close association with the Chinese government is a force that both pushes them forward and holds them back.

As the framework of former World Bank economist Justin Lin Yifu is offered across the globe as a "Chinese model" for economic development, it's a good time to understand the fuller context of Lin's ideas.

As waves of online nationalism in China continue to strike European businesses, it's a good time to become more familiar with the dynamics behind this phenomenon.