The first player without Chinese ancestry to play for Team China is a Brazilian player named Elkison, and he made his debut in September. Some fans are repulsed by this new tactic of granting citizenship to foreigners. The Football Federation has recently promised not to recruit as many foreign-born players going forward.
This weekend marks three decades since the wall fell, yet stark divides remain between East and West. We revisit that moment of hope that remains unfulfilled. Ethiopia’s Somali state was until recently the country’s most repressive; a visit to one of its prisons reveals a tremendous transformation for the better. And China’s effort to boost its national football team: naturalising foreign talents. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here
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