China continually surprises: it's ever so slightly odd to find yourself outflanked on the free market, capitalist, side by the remnants of a communist state. But that's what has just happened in China and it gives us the example of what we should do with the BBC. Sell it.

For that is exactly what the Chinese are doing, selling off chunks of the State broadcasters:

China's People.cn Co Ltd finished 74 percent higher on its first day of trading in Shanghai after a $219 million IPO as investors flocked to the state-backed news portal

And:

Beijing has actively encouraged its state-owned news media organizations to list in the domestic market in order to secure capital to improve services and extend Beijing's control in the free-wheeling Internet sector.

Xinhuanet, the Internet portal of state news agency Xinhua, is also set to raise 1 billion yuan in Shanghai,

The joy is that of course we'll be able to get the happy approval of all of the usual lefty media luvvies for this. You don't have to go far these days to hear someone praising the way that the Chinese state directs investment, manages the economy, builds infrastructure and so on.

So, we should be able to get over the cries of horror when we suggest flogging of the BBC simply by pointintg out that this is what the Chinese are doing and doesn't that make it wonderful?

And I have to admit, I'd be very tempted to buy it myself. Just think of the joy that can be had in slashing the bureaucracy, putting the self-appointed defenders of the 90% on the wages of the 90% and, joy of joys, rejecting licence fee funding by taking advertising! So, so many media types to affront and so, so little time alas.....