In news TV and videos, I'm used to seeing provincial premiers in China hold meetings with their guests in photogenic halls apt to be decked in golden color.

By contrast, I'm also used to seeing Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, hold meetings with his colleagues, rivals, and underlings in plain halls and common rooms.

Well, that says something, considering that the GDP (PPP) of Canada is about triple the average self-styled GDP (PPP) of a Chinese province.