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From Our Own Correspondent: India and China

India and China

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, India and China

Pascale Harter presents reflections from Anu Anand in Delhi and Michael Bristow in Beijing

Wit and analysis from writers around the world, presented by Pascale Harter. Anu Anand meets the 'love commandos' helping Indian couples in danger; Michael Bristow joins a Chinese get-rich seminar.

Insight, wit and analysis from correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world. Introduced by Pascale Harter. In this edition:


Behind the lines with the Love Commandos

It's a truism that marriage and social status are intimately connected. Anywhere in the world and throughout history, some families have taken dynastic or financial considerations more seriously than emotion, when it came to getting your people married off. But when it comes to matchmaking, few nations are as dedicated as modern India, where everything from caste to eating habits could turn out to be a deal-breaker. 

So, who can you call if your parents don't like your lover? Now help is at hand: a group who call themselves The Love Commandos. And Anu Anand finds that fearful young lovers do call on them ...


To get rich is glorious. But how?

Commerce used to be considered a dirty word in Communist China. But since the government introduced reforms 30 years ago - well, we all know about China's galloping economic growth since then. Still, it can be daunting to launch into the world of business without knowing much about the bottom line. 

In Beijing, Michael Bristow joins a financial 'seminar' - and notices a universal hunger for more.

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