King of bling
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span> – <span word="China">China</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="luxury">luxury</span> <span word="boom">boom</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="Blingdom">Blingdom</span> (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Economist">Economist</span>, <span word="February">February</span> 17, 2011) – <span word="what">what</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="Blingdom">Blingdom</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="Blingdom">Blingdom</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="for">for</span> 21<span word="st">st</span> <span word="century">century</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="hitherto">hitherto</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Middle">Middle</span> <span word="Kingdom">Kingdom</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Bling">Bling</span>” <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="rhymes">rhymes</span> <span word="with">with</span> “<span word="king">king</span>”, <span word="signifying">signifying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="kings">kings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p><span word="Kings">Kings</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="queens">queens</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="bling">bling</span>.</p><p><span word="Merely">Merely</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="play">play</span>, <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="revealing">revealing</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="pace">pace</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="No">No</span>. 1 <span word="consumer">consumer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="luxury">luxury</span> <span word="goods">goods</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="slang">slang</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="superpower">superpower</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="bling">bling</span>. “<span word="Within">Within</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="years">years</span>,” <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Economist">Economist</span>, “<span word="China">China</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="domestic">domestic</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="bling">bling</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span>’<span word="s">s</span>. <span word="By">By</span> 2020 <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="account">account</span> <span word="for">for</span> 19% <span word="of">of</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="luxuries">luxuries</span>.”</p><p><span word="Bling">Bling</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rattling">rattling</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="when">when</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="diamonds">diamonds</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="bling">bling</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="bling">bling</span>-<span word="bling">bling</span>, <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="heavy">heavy</span>, <span word="ostentatious">ostentatious</span> <span word="ornamental">ornamental</span> <span word="pieces">pieces</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="wear">wear</span>, <span word="earrings">earrings</span>, <span word="necklaces">necklaces</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="worthless">worthless</span> <span word="baubles">baubles</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="costly">costly</span> <span word="trifles">trifles</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Economist">Economist</span> <span word="puts">puts</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="says">says</span>:</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="include">include</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="baubles">baubles</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="outside">outside</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="share">share</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="luxury">luxury</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="triple">triple</span>, <span word="to">to</span> 44%, <span word="by">by</span> 2020, <span word="predicts">predicts</span> <span word="CLSA">CLSA</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="wealth">wealth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="upper">upper</span>-<span word="middle">middle</span> <span word="class">class</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="inflection">inflection</span> <span word="point">point</span>, <span word="reckons">reckons</span> <span word="Mr">Mr</span> <span word="Fischer">Fischer</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="need">need</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="load">load</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="need">need</span>, <span word="too">too</span>.</p>
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