But Wants Trident To Go To Preservationist

It was ironic when the personal airliner of former Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong was erected as a static display in the parking lot of an icon of capitalism -- a shopping mall in the seaside city of Zuhai, in southern China.

If that was an affront to Mao's philosophy, he'll be rolling in his grave now. The Toronto Star reports that after almost 10 years in the parking lot, the plane is being sold to make room for more cars.
 
Wang Zhilei, the general manager of Ridong Group, the development company that owns the plane (type shown above), told the paper there was no other way.

"Every day, people are fighting over a limited number of parking spaces," he said. "We have to provide our customers with better service. We have to let it go."

Mao called capitalist reformers within his own party, "capitalist roaders" -- or, those who would head down a capitalist road. Presumably, they'd also need capitalist parking lots.

Zhilei says the British-built Hawker-Siddeley Trident won't be sold to just anyone. He wants it to go to a buyer who will preserve it for its historical significance.

And, of course... the "for sale" sign on the pole under the plane was created on a red banner.

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong