We must forget pride to map global course

As I checked in at a Beijing hotel the other day, my attention was caught by a massive world map on the wall behind the reception desk. What struck me was not its size, but the fact it was different from the maps I'd seen displayed in Europe.

In this map, the central point was the Pacific Ocean rather than Western Europe. This naturally placed China much closer to the "center of the world" than European maps.

Drawing a world map is an egocentric business, and it is not unusual for a country to place itself in the middle of the canvas.