The Second Chapter of "Two Innocents in China"

In the second chapter, we get our first glimpse at the generosity of the Chinese people, as well as the cold machination of their bureaucracy. It's a distinction that Trudeau and Hebert will carry throughout the book, and one that many people have pointed out about Cuba as well. Far from the cynical philosophical atheism of Soviet life, the Chinese people seem genuinely hopeful that their path to true Socialism is assured. They cannot, however, escape the crushing weight of totalitarian government, a weight that in the last quarter of the twentieth century will topple the happy optimism that comes with a fresh start.

I also like how Trudeau and Hebert use food as an analogy for the struggle of the working class. "[650 million people] can't afford lacquered duck every Sunday. But at the present rate of progress in China they are confident of being able to achieve it some day."