Let's talk about China

[gosub]

Holding out against China in a row over reefs

China and the Philippines both have rival claims in the South China Sea.

www.bbc.com

The Philippine Base at Second Thomas Shoal Will Have to Be Replaced

The Philippine Coast Guard’s highlighting of China’s harassment of its vessels near Second Thomas Shoal has undoubtedly boosted sympathy for Manila in...

maritime-executive.com

Shouldn't be TOO hard to source a zombie for a replacement

 

[Yossarian]

Good essay here on how women are resisting the Community Party's push to increase the birth rate and what that might mean for China's future

Facing a shrinking population and a long-term economic slowdown, the party wants China’s women to be docile, baby-breeding guarantors of social, economic and demographic stability. Instead, many Chinese women, who now have greater personal freedom and control over their lives than during the early Communist era, are quietly resisting.

https://archive.is/wMB5g

Easy to see why women would be reluctant to bring children into a place ruled by the CCP, though the birth rate in places like Singapore and the free and independent nation of Taiwan isn't any higher

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Good essay here on how women are resisting the Community Party's push to increase the birth rate and what that might mean for China's future

Facing a shrinking population and a long-term economic slowdown, the party wants China’s women to be docile, baby-breeding guarantors of social, economic and demographic stability. Instead, many Chinese women, who now have greater personal freedom and control over their lives than during the early Communist era, are quietly resisting.

https://archive.is/wMB5g

Easy to see why women would be reluctant to bring children into a place ruled by the CCP, though the birth rate in places like Singapore and the free and independent nation of Taiwan isn't any higher

I'm surprised there's that many women about. Or did the rules change in recent years / be filled with immigrants?

 

[Humberto]

I'm surprised there's that many women about. Or did the rules change in recent years / be filled with immigrants?

tHE MASSIVE NOB HEAD MAGNUS MGINTY THER

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Huh? They had a single child policy for years. What do you think that might have caused in terms of reproduction?
Is there any need for the abuse over asking that?

 

[Humberto]

yOU BORING BASTARD

 

[Pickman's model]

Huh? They had a single child policy for years. What do you think that might have caused in terms of reproduction?
Is there any need for the abuse over asking that?

Thought you knew abuse here isn't handed out on the basis of necessity

 

[Magnus McGinty]

yOU BORING BASTARD

How’s your head and liver today then?

 

[Humberto]

How’s your head and liver today then?

Mustnt grumble. Soz, minor issues.

 

[RedRedRose]

There are a number of things going on with the plummeting birth rate: higher standards of living; the cost of raising a child; the rising divorce rate; 996 (9am to 9pm, six days a week work schedule); gender population imbalance; rising cost of the dowry; highly educated female population; tanking economy etc etc.

It could easily bolster the population by allowing single women, or gay couples to have children, but it's clearly unable to contemplate that.

 

[editor]

tHE MASSIVE NOB HEAD MAGNUS MGINTY THER

And this is the point when you're banned from this thread.

 

[Pickman's model]

The US never went to war with the Soviet Union and aren't interested in getting properly involved in Russia/Ukraine either. What makes you think it's different with China?

How quickly the US intervention against the bolsheviks is forgotten

 

[yield]

The US retains the economic advantage in its rivalry with China (paywalled)
FT. Martin Wolf. 28/11/2023 https://archive.ph/XHDAo

Many countries wish to see the US and its allies, the dominant powers of the last two centuries, taken down more than just a peg or two. But they are more united and economically powerful than China’s group of malcontents.

The event likely to change this balance quickly would be a US decision to tear its alliances to pieces. That would be one of the most dramatically self-harming acts in global history.

It would take far longer for the China bloc to surpass the US bloc on all relevant aspects of economic weight. It may never do so.

 

[NoXion]

The event likely to change this balance quickly would be a US decision to tear its alliances to pieces. That would be one of the most dramatically self-harming acts in global history.

Which is exactly what Trump wants to do.

 

[phildwyer]

The US retains the economic advantage in its rivalry with China (paywalled)
FT. Martin Wolf. 28/11/2023 https://archive.ph/XHDAo

It's not pay-walled for me.

Interesting speculation, but imho too optimistic from the American pov. Places Mexico and Turkey in the "leaning towards USA" group. That's not right, Turkey should be "non-aligned" and Mexico should be "leaning towards China." And doesn't mention Venezuela at all--an important player which would be in the "China's allies" group.

 

[phildwyer]

Which is exactly what Trump wants to do.

Yes it is. So the question Leftists must ask themselves is: do I support the continued hegemony of the American Empire?

If the answer is "no," you should hold your nose and vote for El Trumpster.

 

[NoXion]

Yes it is. So the question Leftists must ask themselves is: do I support the continued hegemony of the American Empire?

If the answer is "no," you should hold your nose and vote for El Trumpster.

If the "American Empire" falls, then the alternatives waiting in the wings include such sterling examples as China and Russia. Sounds like you're arguing that bad should be replaced with worse. I dunno about you but I don't consider fascism to be a palatable alternative to neoliberalism.

 

[gosub]

If the "American Empire" falls, then the alternatives waiting in the wings include such sterling examples as China and Russia. Sounds like you're arguing that bad should be replaced with worse. I dunno about you but I don't consider fascism to be a palatable alternative to neoliberalism.

Except this is a China thread of a UK based BB. Cant see it garnishing many votes in the US Presidentials

 

[tim]

It's not pay-walled for me.

Interesting speculation, but imho too optimistic from the American pov. Places Mexico and Turkey in the "leaning towards USA" group. That's not right, Turkey should be "non-aligned" and Mexico should be "leaning towards China." And doesn't mention Venezuela at all--an important player which would be in the "China's allies" group.

In what context is Venezuela an "important player"?

 

[Yossarian]

If the "American Empire" falls, then the alternatives waiting in the wings include such sterling examples as China and Russia. Sounds like you're arguing that bad should be replaced with worse. I dunno about you but I don't consider fascism to be a palatable alternative to neoliberalism.

Yep, I think replacing American hegemony with Chinese hegemony would only look attractive to somebody willing to stick their head deep in the sand about everything those totalitarian dog turds in Beijing say and do

 

[redsquirrel]

Of course one can oppose Washington, London, Brussels, Moscow and Beijing.

 

[phildwyer]

If the "American Empire" falls, then the alternatives waiting in the wings include such sterling examples as China and Russia. Sounds like you're arguing that bad should be replaced with worse. I dunno about you but I don't consider fascism to be a palatable alternative to neoliberalism.

One difference is that the American Empire is culturally imperialist, as well as militarily. China does not impose its culture on its economic vassals.

Another is that the USA is seriously out of control, both internally and more worryingly in its foreign policy, which is increasingly aggressive and likely to destroy the world.

But in any case the choice isn't between two species of imperialism. Opponents of imperialism should hope for the victory of the anti-NATO candidate, and that is D.Trump.

 

[phildwyer]

In what context is Venezuela an "important player"?

They have tons of oil.

 

[krtek a houby]

One difference is that the American Empire is culturally imperialist, as well as militarily. China does not impose its culture on its economic vassals.

Another is that the USA is seriously out of control, both internally and more worryingly in its foreign policy, which is increasingly aggressive and likely to destroy the world.

But in any case the choice isn't between two species of imperialism. Opponents of imperialism should hope for the victory of the anti-NATO candidate, and that is D.Trump.

What kind of culture does China impose on Tibet, Mongolia or Xinjiang would you say?

US foreign policy has been out of control for quite some time. What is it specifically doing now that has you tumescent over fascism in the US?

It can't be the Russian invasion of Ukraine, can it?

 

[Artaxerxes]

One difference is that the American Empire is culturally imperialist, as well as militarily. China does not impose its culture on its economic vassals.

Another is that the USA is seriously out of control, both internally and more worryingly in its foreign policy, which is increasingly aggressive and likely to destroy the world.

But in any case the choice isn't between two species of imperialism. Opponents of imperialism should hope for the victory of the anti-NATO candidate, and that is D.Trump.

I have several Hong Kong mates.

Guess why they live here and not in Hong Kong?

 

[tim]

They have tons of oil.

They gave huge oil reserves that they are currently not in a position to extract in any meaningful quantity.

 

[phildwyer]

They gave huge oil reserves that they are currently not in a position to extract in any meaningful quantity.

Because the USA has messed them up. Before American intervention it enjoyed a West European-level GDP and standard of living. It's naturally an extremely wealthy nation, sitting on a sea of oil. That's why the Americans are so obsessed with rooting out Chavismo, they don't want Venezuela joining the anti-NATO bloc that appears to be forming rapidly atm.

 

[phildwyer]

US foreign policy has been out of control for quite some time. What is it specifically doing now that has you tumescent over fascism in the US?

I'm not worried about fascism in the USA, I'll leave that to the Never Trump loonies.

I'm worried about the neo-cons, who control the senile Biden's government. They are committed to the PNAC, which involves the rapid destruction of several nations. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen have already been destroyed. Syria and Iran are next. The biggest problem the Americans face is Putin, who prevented them from overthrowing Assad, so now they have to get rid of Putin too. In short the PNAC is a recipe for WW3, and the USA is totally committed to it. If you're not worried about an out-of-control USA taking the rest of the world down with it, you certainly ought to be.

 

[phildwyer]

I have several Hong Kong mates.

Guess why they live here and not in Hong Kong?

It depends where "here" is really.

 

[Rimbaud]

One difference is that the American Empire is culturally imperialist, as well as militarily. China does not impose its culture on its economic vassals.

You are wrong here - a defining characteristic of the Chinese state is its tendency towards standardisation and enforced assimilation. The contemporary efforts to sinify Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet are merely a continuation of a millenia long process.

The agreements on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor included specific proposals for imposing Chinese culture.

Exclusive: CPEC master plan revealed

Details from original documents laying out the CPEC long term plan are publicly disclosed for the first time.

www.dawn.com

A full system of monitoring and surveillance will be built in cities from Peshawar to Karachi, with 24 hour video recordings on roads and busy marketplaces for law and order. A national fibreoptic backbone will be built for the country not only for internet traffic, but also terrestrial distribution of broadcast TV, which will cooperate with Chinese media in the “dissemination of Chinese culture”.

The plan envisages a deep and broad-based penetration of most sectors of Pakistan’s economy as well as its society by Chinese enterprises and culture. Its scope has no precedent in Pakistan’s history in terms of how far it opens up the domestic economy to participation by foreign enterprises.

...

The expanded bandwidth that will open up will enable terrestrial broadcast of digital HD television, called Digital Television Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcasting (DTMB). This is envisioned as more than just a technological contribution. It is a “cultural transmission carrier. The future cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani media will be beneficial to disseminating Chinese culture in Pakistan, further enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples and the traditional friendship between the two countries.” The plan says nothing about how the system will be used to control the content of broadcast media, nor does it say anything more about “the future cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani media”.