The fifth chapter of "Two Innocents in China"

I'm continually impressed by how each chapter of this book encompasses a different political theme. The last chapter tackled crime and punishment under the new regime - this chapter focuses on the rights of the minorities. Women are treated exceptionally well in 1960's communist China, almost to an extreme. They are not allowed to stay home and become stereotypical mothers, but are instead forcefully encouraged to join the workforce and safeguard their equality. Most likely this is also because the State wants to keep Chinese children in a state-run Community Daycare Centre, to teach them the principles of Marxism at an early age.

We also learn for the first time that Mao has taken a keen interest in the Canadian delegation due to their interest in the minority issue. This is an excellent plot device that hooks the reader. In almost every scene, a poster of Mao is present - how fascinating must it be when they finally get to meet him.