In January 1993, an ambitious Chinese Communist Party boss — 39 years old, chubby cheeks and a mop of black hair — visited Hong Kong. He was seeking out the city's rich among the shimmering skyscrapers, hoping to secure investment in Fuzhou, the second-tier city he ran in mainland China. His name was Xi Jinping.
That August, Xi received a guest back home. Hong Kong's most famous tycoon, Li Ka-shing, known locally as "Superman" for his business acumen, had come to town. A photograph from the event shows Xi grinning as he walked beside Li, who held a bouquet of flowers in his hand. In the background, a long banner hung with the message to "warmly welcome" Li.
During those days, in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, Beijing was desperate to fire up a languishing economy. National leaders and provincial potentates were courting Li for his cash and the star power his name brought to development projects on the mainland. That time has passed.