That really hasn't worked well for the Chinese in the past. The Great Sparrow Campaign and the Great Leap Forward immediately springs to mind. Tens of millions

That really hasn't worked well for the Chinese in the past. The Great Sparrow Campaign and the Great Leap Forward immediately springs to mind. Tens of millions of dead in each one. Does your buddy not know anything about recent Chinese history? I guess I got taught it randomly in school (UK, happened to be on the History GCSE), so perhaps it's forgivable.