Understanding China

OK I didn’t notice. (Auto correct be damned)

Barents Observer is launching a Chinese version:

Anyone have any predictions on how the ongoing trade deal (or lack thereof) will turn out? Big implications for our 401k’s…

Paving the silk road with language. Will the next proxy war between super powers be in Africa?

This is how wars get started:

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/4/12/china-philippines-spratlys-dispute.html

If (when) this escalates into shots fired and China sinking a Philippine naval vessel with accompanying loss of life, how will/should we respond?

china might need a war to cover up their dying economy?

China see the need for a strong Navy to protect it’s interests:
http://english.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-04/13/content_9476793.htm

The problem is that it considers islands within the economic zone of other countries as ‘their interests’. The Hauge agrees which should appeal to your globalist sensibilities. I guess your globalist tendencies are only outweighed by your repeated habit of ignoring Chinese hypocrisy, overreach, and human rights violations.

2 Likes

Ombuggie has an advanced case of yellow fever. He considers himself “part-Chinese” and he’s a hopeless promoter and apologist for the Chinese communist dictatorship bent on world domination through avaricious state controlled capitalism and military might. He gleefully looks forward to the day when China overwhelms the US, and maybe even the EU.

Oh come off it you two. China is not going to attack the US, or any of it’s neighbours anytime soon.
They ARE going to build up their capacity to protect their homeland, trade routes and foreign interest by building up their technological and military capabilities to where even the dumbest foreign leaders would think twice about attacking China.

They will use soft power, like offering mandarin classes and offering assistance to improve infrastructure without demanding political favours in return. But is that a treat to US, or EU?? Isn’t that what every major power is doing through their propaganda machine??

Yes, China is planning to replace the US as the leader in technology, trade and (in the long run) political influence around the world.
They are not trying to do that with military might, or by intimidation and bullying.

If they will eventually succeed it will be by business acumen and technological advancement. You will never be able to trick China into a proxy war, or a weapons race they cannot afford, like the Soviet Union.

With all due respect those living in Taiwan may beg to differ. On a related note a very good friend of mine is an Economics professor who has visited China on numerous occasions as a visiting professor at their Universities. With the rise of Xi Jinping the political atmosphere has changed dramatically and has reverted to more along the lines of Mao’s regime (His words, not mine).

1 Like

Taiwan is in a very special situation. It is part of China but was trying to pretend it was China.

In the years after the revolution the island was occupied by the defeated Nationalists, who called it the Republic of China. (In fact that is still the official name it claims)

They pretended that they were the real China and, with the backing of the US, even held the Chinese permanent seat in UN Security Council for many years.
Today they are no longer a member of UN and are not recognised as an independent country, even by the US.

Reunification with the motherland will happen sooner or later. Whether that will be amicably or by force is left to be seen. It is very much up to the Chinese people living there to decide how. (Native Taiwanese have little say so in the matter)

If US politicians for domestic gain stir up problems on Taiwan the takeover could be soon, swift and bloody, but left alone they will eventually sort it out amicably.

At one time, yes they (the ruling party) were pretending to be the one true China but no longer. The majority now consider themselves to be Taiwanese. Will there ever be unification? Possibly but the amicable part remains to be seen. For Hongkongers the experience has not been completely amicable. Or Tibetans since 1950 for that matter.

True, But most major powers maintain unofficial ties with Taiwan through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates.

Given a very large percentage of the population in Singapore is of Chinese heritage I am surprised they haven’t claimed sovereignty there as well sarcastically speaking.

Taiwan is home to some of the most wealthy people in the world but they don’t flaunt it. The present generation and future generations do not regard themselves as part of China any more than the ethnic Chinese with the Geordie accent running a fish and chip shop in Newcastle on Tyne considers himself to be part of China. He may not even speak the language.

1 Like

“They are not trying to do that with military might, or by intimidation and bullying.”
so when they bring 'coast guard boats down into East Malaysian waters telling your rig to get out of chinese waters, is that because they designed the nav system and it doesnt work?
They have a UN agreed set of boundaries in th South China sea that they signed but they choose to ignore that.
They are the biggest bullies the world has seen for a long time.
Joined the WTO and dont like it when Trump says why dont you follow the rules?
The internal propaganda these days is very similar to what Hitler did, total media control, stay in power, remove dissent and paint a fake picture of the rest of the world, they must have learnt from North Korea.

3 Likes

Two opinions about China and the rivalry with the US issued a few months apart and from different sides of the Pacific.
First one from SCMP in Jan. 2019:


The second from Washington Post today:

There are both differences and similarities in the views professed here.
Let’s just hope that the “clash of civilisations” can be kept to the rhetorical pages, not the war news pages.

Understand China:

At various times threw history there were other lands of China or it’s various precursors. Should they reclaim them, too? That would be parts of Russia, Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal. I’m sure those peoples long to rejoin their motherland!

Maybe Italy should reclaim its lands that once was Rome. Mongolia could reclaim its lands the Khan once had. Should Sweden retake Finland? Do you support Russia retaking the Baltic states? No problem with southeast Ukraine returning to Mother Russia? I bet you support Israel reclaiming their ancestral lands from the Palestinians.

Or is it only communist China you support?

2 Likes

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

1 Like

the only thing the chinese gov is interested in doing is staying in power at any cost like all commies and socialists

2 Likes