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Thank you very much for your insightful reply.
I agree with most of it, especially your observations of the present state of TT.
I do have a few comments though:
You're right that the current top 3 (or 4 including Zhang Jike) CNT players were much succesful when they started to play internationally, which might have meant that they gained more chances to do just that. In fact the CNT has been exceptionally great at this since 1995: replacing their top players with even better younger players.
However, I'm pretty sure that the younger CNT players used to play more tournaments in the previous generations - possibly because the top players at that time didn't play as many tournaments as they have done in recent years.
Unfortunately I can't back this up with facts, because the ITTF statistics are absolutely horrible :-(. But I can say that in 2009 the CNT visited the Danish Open with Ma Long, Zhang Jike (first international senior tournament, I think?), Xu Xin, Hao Shuai and Zhang Chao. Of these players only Ma Long was on the 2008 WTTTC team (and only as the number 5 player).
Also, just because this policy has worked with the former generations of players, it clearly hasn't worked as well bringing up the recent "next generation" of CNT top players. Clearly the factors that you mention - as most likely many many others - are a part of the equation as well. But that doesn't stop me from wondering whether the CNT has mishandled the upcoming generational change poorly - for whatever reason.
I think you underestimate how special ML, ZJK and XX were - they were called the Special Generation for a reason and it turned out right. The problem is that people are spoiled by that dominance, which overlapped with the dominance of WLQ, MLin and WH, and they expect the same thing to happen automatically.
I personally think that nothing has been mishandled other than the firing of LGL. FZD is already special, and LGY, LJK and a few others are in the pipeline (WCQ, ZY, LDS, etc.) Those guys are still largely ahead of their agemates. It's Harimoto and the Koreans that are making things interesting, as well as the longevity of Timo Boll, Dima, Mizutani etc.
But I think destroying the system LGL built will affect them for a while unless they decide it isn't what they want.