If a financial journalist needed some inside advice on the longevity of the rampaging Chinese economy, who better to ask than one of the world’s top ballet dancers and best selling author.
Li Cunxin, 44, rose from the extreme poverty of a seven-son family in rural China to become one of the world’s best ballet dancers.
Like all young Chinese he was a member of the Communist youth party, but over the years came to the conclusion that he and his fellow students were Chairman Mao’s political puppets.
Nevertheless, Li was relentless in his pursuit of excellence in his art form, taking as many as five classes a day over several of his seven years at the Beijing Dance Academy.
Nearing the height of his career, he defected to become a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet and danced his final three years as principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
He recorded his remarkable life story in the runaway international bestseller Mao’s Last Dancer, now in its 28th reprint in Australia, making it the best selling Australian book ever published in Australia and the biggest selling biography ever sold in this country.
As you would expect, there is also a film in the wings.
But Mr Li is also a senior manager with major stock broking firm Bell Potter in Melbourne, where he lives with his wife, Mary, and their three children.
At a brief soiree put on by the Friends of West Australian Ballet, Mr Li said he expected China’s current growth to continue for at least another 10 years.
“There will be some bumps [in commodity prices] along the way, which certain commodities probably need, but I remain bullish about the resources sector and China’s ability to sustain growth,” he told WA Business News.
While the current construction and development phase might slow in the longer term, it would be compensated for as China’s move to a consumer society gathered strength.
“I have a number of clients in resources stocks and I also like the media.”
Mr Li was in Perth for just a day recently to promote the “Highway to China” gala fundraiser for the state ballet company to be held in Perth on March 11 next year.
