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China
Jul 14, 2019 18:52:23 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Jul 14, 2019 18:52:23 GMT -8
I think it might be worthwhile to post some interesting and informative material on China occasionally. The link is to an editorial in response to a recent piece in the Washington Times in which the American China Lobby makes their usual excuses for China and calling for business as usual.
I like what this writer has to say.
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China
Jul 14, 2019 19:30:56 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Jul 14, 2019 19:30:56 GMT -8
Amusing. It's another of those cases where ideology matters more than anything else, at least for those who acknowledge China's threatening actions while denying it's any sort of threat.
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China
Jul 24, 2019 13:03:23 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Jul 24, 2019 13:03:23 GMT -8
So finally, we are investigating Chinese spying and theft of intellectual property in the USA. I guess it is better late than never. Investigating ChinaNote the Chinese Foreign Ministry representative's claims at the end of the article. She is clearly a believer and practitioner of Hitler's "Big Lie" theory. |
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China
Jul 24, 2019 13:44:30 GMT -8
Post by artraveler on Jul 24, 2019 13:44:30 GMT -8
After spending a large part of my life confronting the communist threat I am not surprised that China is using every opportunity to undermine the US. It is the old story of the frog and the scorpion. The frog always gets stung and the scorpion always stings. What is disturbing is the naive thought, mostly on the progressive side, but among republicans also that somehow this is different. Remember the Ents in LoTR? Treebeard exclaims, "A wizard should know better!". At least Republicans should know better, but they don't. They refuse to say or do anything that might offend people whose sole intention is the destruction of the United States by any means, as an enemy.
Its not just the Chinese who walk all over our good intentions, but the rest of the world, especially our supposed friends in Europe that are at fault. I give DJT credit for calling them out. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "The Presidency is a BULLY PULPIT."
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China
Jul 24, 2019 14:11:04 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Jul 24, 2019 14:11:04 GMT -8
As far as I can tell, much of China's theft of intellectual property is done under the cover of the law. They coerce businesses into making their products over there, and then into providing information on how to do it. But they do also use a lot of spying, much of it by hacking. Then, too, there are many Chinese here who seem to want to make their ethnicity as untrustworthy as Muslims. (On the other hand, the Demagogues' use of McConnell's wife's ethnicity in campaigns was simply appealing to possible racism. Fortunately, it hasn't worked -- Kentucky voters, at least the ones accessible to a Republican, aren't the racists that Demagogues think they are.)
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Post by kungfuzu on Aug 8, 2019 11:44:11 GMT -8
In case anyone is interested in the protests presently going on in Hong Kong, I am linking to a video which a friend in Hong Kong sent me. This was in response to my question whether or not the protests were localized in the Central and Admiralty areas of Hong Kong or were they territory wide? Hong Kong ProtestsClearly, the protests are widespread and serious. These protests, along with the tariff fight with the USA, the problems in the South China Sea and a slowing economy must be giving Xi and Co heartburn. The Chinese know that if they pull a Tianamen Square in Hong Kong it will do the PRC tremendous damage. Nevertheless, if they let the protestors in Hong Kong get away with this too much longer, the communists understand that the unrest could spread and Hong Kong would be the least of their problems. Given such thinking, Xi and friends may decide that a bloody clamp-down in Hong Kong would be worth the fall out. We do live in interesting times. |
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China
Aug 8, 2019 12:52:07 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Aug 8, 2019 12:52:07 GMT -8
They obviously don't want a massive violent suppression, which can't be hidden in Hong Kong. But neither will the accept anything that smacks of democracy. In all likelihood there's at least some violence in the protests, which will provide the justification.
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China
Aug 8, 2019 13:30:20 GMT -8
Post by artraveler on Aug 8, 2019 13:30:20 GMT -8
This is a very dangerous time for the communists. If they do not get the protests in Hong Kong under control there is a good possibility of the unrest spreading to the mainland. The so-called trade war between the US and China is causing wide-spread economic disruption. A friend who had a small manufacturing business in China has moved to Vietnam and offshore to Taiwan. He reports that his is not the only firm packing up and getting out. The economics are apparent but social chaos is the real reason.
If Xi decides to crack down on HK then the US and the rest of the world will worsen the economic sanctions and tariffs making the economic crisis worse and possibility the setting the stage for a military takeover or even civil war.
We continue to live in interesting times
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China
Aug 8, 2019 14:25:19 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Aug 8, 2019 14:25:19 GMT -8
The USA is putting a much bigger squeeze on China than most of us know. The military and other government agencies here have put out a "no Chinese parts" requirement for the purchase of all sorts of technology.
And as your friend did, many companies have already moved overseas, with Vietnam and Taiwan being favorite destinations. This is important as Taiwanese companies have probably been the largest investors in China over the last 20-30 years, and for them to move away will hurt. Foxconn, the company which does assembly work (i.e. actually make the products) for Apple, Samsung and other high-tech companies is rumored to be trying to sell its factory assets in China. These are worth something like US$8 billion.
I believe China has no good options in the present situation and will be damaged whichever way they turn. If the USA is half-smart we can gain greatly from this mess.
The biggest downside I see is the possibility that if things really start to fall apart, China will figure that they have little to lose and will then invade Taiwan. While I do not believe the USA would intervene in Hong Kong, I do believe the USA would use military force against China if it attacked Taiwan. If it doesn't, our whole system of deterrence in Asia would fall apart.
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China
Aug 8, 2019 14:30:57 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Aug 8, 2019 14:30:57 GMT -8
Yes, I think the US has some sort of defense pact with Taiwan even though we don't formally recognize them as a separate country. We have no such commitment regarding Hong Kong. We'd better be ready, and we probably are.
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China
Aug 15, 2019 13:53:37 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Aug 15, 2019 13:53:37 GMT -8
Well, I guess better late than never. Pat Buchanan seems to get the threat China poses to the USA. China ThreatAnyone who understands the non-stop attacks on Trump, knows that the Communist Chinese are doing their best to take full advantage of the situation. They would like nothing better than for Trump to lose the next election so some leftist sympathizer or RINO money-man can get the old China-USA relationship back on course, i.e. let China do what it wants and those at the top here can get back to profiting enormously from it. |
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China
Aug 21, 2019 11:47:02 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Aug 21, 2019 11:47:02 GMT -8
The link is to a brief article which calls into question the official economic figures being put out by the PRC. China StatsHaving done business with the PRC starting in 1977 and having lived in Honk Kong for six years as China was "opening up," I have consistently told people not to believe the stats put out by China. In fact I tell them to have a healthy skepticism about all government stats, but China's are particularly suspect. Of course, no one has payed me any attention, but it is still good to know people are finally waking up. |
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China
Aug 21, 2019 12:20:56 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Aug 21, 2019 12:20:56 GMT -8
Such suspicions about Russian numbers have been around for a long time. As I mentioned a while back (it may have been in ST), Robert Heinlein concluded on his 1960 visit to Russia that the population of Moscow was only a tenth or so of the official figure. Winston Smith had similar doubts about official Oceanian statistics, suspecting that no one in authority knew or cared what the actual numbers were. This is one of the many advantages people in authority find when there's no independent press to check into such things.
Most likely the same doubts about Russia and Oceania are equally applicable to China.
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China
Aug 21, 2019 18:11:02 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Aug 21, 2019 18:11:02 GMT -8
What were we just discussing about government statistics?
The question now is, "which numbers do I believe, the earlier or later?"
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China
Sept 5, 2019 7:53:52 GMT -8
Post by artraveler on Sept 5, 2019 7:53:52 GMT -8
HONG KONG — Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, said Wednesday that the government would withdraw a contentious extradition bill that ignited months of protests in the city, moving to quell the worst political crisis since the former British colony returned to Chinese control 22 years ago
At best this is a small victory. Xi has lost face with this, no matter that it was the only thing he could do other than send in the tanks. Look for more protests on the mainland and an increasingly intrusive police state. It is not over merely postponed.
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China
Sept 5, 2019 8:21:45 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Sept 5, 2019 8:21:45 GMT -8
This is only one of 5 demands which the protestors have made, but it was the spark which started the present fire in Hongkong.
I look for Carrie Lam to be made scapegoat for the whole thing, in the not-too-distant future. Had I been Xi, she would have been sacrificed earlier. Had that happened, I believe there would have been a good chance that things would not have gotten out of hand in Hongkong. According to a Hongkong friend, the woman is arrogant, high-handed and supremely ambitious and that description if from those who know her. Let us say, she is not popular and will not be missed when she leaves.
China has no good options in the Hongkong debacle. If they march in and create another Tiananmen Square, word will get out across China and Xi's government will become more unpopular. Furthermore, the West will have to impose trade sanctions on the PRC which will further harm the already slowing Chinese economy.
If China does nothing and lets the protests in Hongkong continue, word will continue to spread across China and others there might think it is time to start making their own demands on the communist government. This could make the protests in Hongkong look small.
In any case, Xi and Co have already changed the political situation in Taiwan where just months ago, the Taiwan president was very unpopular and was ready to go down to defeat in next year's election. She is now leading her Kuomintang (Chiang Kai Shek's party which believes in the reunification of China) opponent by a large margin. She and her party have made clear that Taiwan is an independent country.
One must understand that one of the reasons that the PRC was originally so liberal in Hongkong was to show Taiwan that "One country, two systems" could work. The latest protests in Hongkong show that this isn't the case. Frankly, I am surprised it has taken this long for the commies to screw things up in Hongkong. I was convinced they would ruin the place within 5 years of the 1997 takeover. I was wrong on the timing, but not on the action.
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China
Sept 5, 2019 9:07:20 GMT -8
Post by timothylane on Sept 5, 2019 9:07:20 GMT -8
Events in China clearly showed that Beijing backed down. They realize that another Tiananmen Square would impossible to hide, and that much of the West would (reluctantly) feel it necessary to respond -- especially Britain, since this would end their agreement to retain Hong Konger rights until 2047. But now the citizens know that China has no intention of doing so. If the extradition law had been canceled when it was merely suspended, that would have worked (until they brought it up again in a year or so). Now it won't because too many Hong Kongers realize that China is determined to impose its will as soon as it can. And they see that in Taiwan as well.
Things are about to turn very hairy there. Instead of "some damn thing in the Balkans", it may be "some damn thing around the South China Sea".
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China
Sept 5, 2019 9:39:13 GMT -8
Post by artraveler on Sept 5, 2019 9:39:13 GMT -8
What Xi is counting on are the people who will say, "we got the big issue, time to pull back". Many will do so hoping that China will do the same. What will happen is further undermining of the protest movement by communist provocateurs and ultimately Xi will, "with great reluctance" send in troops to protect free markets and the free exchange of goods. All a charade to cover what will be a total takeover of Hong Kong. We will protest, impose sanctions and tariffs. The Brits will threaten troops but there is no realistic way they can take on the PRC. IMHO Hong Kong is lost to the free world and Taiwan is next.
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China
Sept 5, 2019 10:03:14 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Sept 5, 2019 10:03:14 GMT -8
One must understand that the proposed extradition law was just the most obvious encroachment by China on Hongkong human rights. Over the past few years, various people have disappeared from Honk Kong and turned up in China for trial on some charge or another. The extradition law would have simply made the "disappearing" part vanish.
The so-called "Basic Law" (signed a few months before I moved to Hkg) which lays out the relationship between the PRC and Hongkong gives the people of Hongkong a substantial amount of legal protection as regards human rights. The rights of property, trial by jury, etc are clearly laid out. The Basic Law gives a nod at "universal human rights" in that it allows for Hongkong permanent residents the right to vote for their representatives. The catch is that the potential representatives must be approved by and presented to the populace by China. So there is no democracy.
Regardless the news we might hear about this being about democracy, it is not. Hongkongers have never had a democracy. Under the Brits they had a "Constituent Assembly" which was made up of individuals representing different interest groups across the territory. On top of that they had the "Executive Council" which was made up of a small number of very powerful people who pulled lots of strings. The Governor was nominally on top of that. In my days there, it was said the most powerful positions in Hongkong were the head of the Executive Council, Head of the Hongkong Jockey Club and Head of Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corp. A business partner's father was head of all three. He was really the top dog in Hongkong.
Clearly things have changed.
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China
Sept 5, 2019 10:29:48 GMT -8
Post by kungfuzu on Sept 5, 2019 10:29:48 GMT -8
I doubt the Brits will threaten troops. For them, giving up Hongkong was as much an economic as political decision. The only part of Hongkong which had to be returned to China in 1997 was "The New Territories." Kowloon and Hongkong Island had been ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity. The Brits decided that without the New Territories, which made up most of the land area of Hongkong, it wasn't worth keeping the territory. Of course, before they left, the Brits approved a huge number of public works projects and other money-cow projects which were all won by good British companies. Might as well squeeze the golden goose while possible.
As to Taiwan being next, I have serious doubts that this will be the case. Like many, I once believed the propaganda that Taiwan and China historically belonged together. I no long believe this lie. Perhaps the most important factor in this is that today's Taiwanese do not feel themselves Chinese first. They believe themselves to be Taiwanese. I know this from personal experience, experience of friends dealing in Taiwan and a number of surveys and studies done in Taiwan.
Taiwan was ruled for almost 40 years by the Kuomintang Party of Chiang Kai Shek. This party was and is a party which believes in a "United China." It was also a party made up of Mandarin Chinese speakers i.e. norther outsiders, whereas the local Taiwanese generally speak a type of Fukienese and many have been on Taiwan for generations. Thankfully, the old Guard who had close connections to China have mainly died, thus ties to China are weaker than before.
The younger generations have become very pro-Taiwan and have no desire for reunification with China. They have grown up in a successful and democratic country and want to keep it that way.
There was a big divide between the north of Taiwan which was very Kuomintang oriented and the South which hated the Kuomintang, but I believe that is changing.
The DDP is presently in power and is a Taiwan-centric party. The present leader has been outspoken about their intention to keep Taiwan independent. This infuriates the Reds in China. And not only the Reds.
Trump has done more to help Taiwan than any president that I can recall. He has allowed large sales of arms and other equipment to Taiwan for defense. (Including M1 Abrams tanks.) He has also signed a law which confirms the sale of 66 new F-16Vs, (the latest version) and equipment to maintain them, to Taiwan. The USA and Taiwan are now trying to decide where in the USA, Taiwanese pilots will train in these planes.
Unlike Hongkong, Taiwan has a significant military. And China would have to mount an amphibious operation over at least 80 miles of open water to invade. And it should not be forgotten that Chiang Kai Shek and the Kuomintang invaded Taiwan in 1949, when Taiwan was a backwater without the means to defend itself. Chiang slaughtered over 20,000 locals and is still hated for this. Today's Taiwanese do not plan to allow another invasion.
Finally, I believe the USA would have to come to Taiwan's aid should China attack. If the USA did not, our whole Asia-Pacific defense strategy would fall apart. Japan, Korea, Singapore, India and the rest of Asia would take note. We would be seen as nothing but a paper-Tiger and could kiss Asia goodbye. China would then expand their military, political and economic power tremendously and leave us in the dust.
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