David who? China remains oblivious to Prime Minister Cameron

British PM will have to compete with the memory of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and even Winston Churchill when he visits China

While he remains unknown to most Chinese, David Cameron may be better known in the country after his visit later this week. Photog

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The grasp that ordinary Chinese people have on western politics can be humbling. During the British general election in May, one taxi driver regaled me with his lengthy version of the Gordon Brown-Gillian Duffy incident; last month, another inquired what I thought of Harold Macmillan.

Only a handful of politicians become household names around the world. Margaret Thatcher was one, Tony Blair another; he still features regularly in the Chinese media.

So far, David Cameron has yet to make that kind of impact. In our small and entirely unscientific sample in central Beijing, not one person could name the British prime minister.

Some cited Blair. One thought, after a minute of umming, that it might be Brown.

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