LOS ANGELES — A metaphor for our dramatic world geopolitical change occurred in Melbourne at the prestigious Australian Open. There, even as time-honored warriors Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal were eliminated, a Chinese woman slammed her way into history. The relentless Li Na became the first Asian woman to advance to the final of a major tennis championship.
Mirroring the rise of Asia itself, Asian athletes have been winning top-tier recognition all over the place. But Li Na's victory deserves special mention. Her graciousness after her semifinal victory charmed an entire stadium of hypercritical tennis junkies. This Chinese woman was funny, self-deprecatory and pleasant. When asked what motivated her smashing performance against a higher-seeded opponent, Li said, to a roar from the crowd, "the prize money." She laughingly blamed her lack of sleep prior to the match on the snoring of her husband, who in turn laughed from his seat in the crowd. One hopes this special woman has many more wins on the world tennis circuit.
In fact, her government could learn a few things from China's most famous tennis lady. Its pugnacious Bruce Lee Syndrome affliction, it seems, just won't go away. Beijing has been picking fights with its neighbors, and generally letting its growing military do too much of its public talking, not to mention preening. The net effect has worked against China's goal of reducing the profile of the United States in Asia — now that China's neighbors increasingly realize the practical value of that role.