The South China Sea's Gathering Storm
China is an economic threat because corporate America handed them all the required tools. The corporations could do that because they bought enough legislators and even a President to make sure it happened. Now the corporations are strip mining American wealth to invest even more in the growing Chinese economy and the legislators are making sure that continues to happen. On top of that US universities welcomed full-price foreign students, which also allowed tuition and student housing inflation, to train as competitors to the US to go back to China with top American technology insights.
The serious threat to the US is the US and the US alone.
If there is consideration for military threat from China - that won't happen until the US corps have drained the most they can from the US economy.
The serious threat to the US is the US and the US alone.
If there is consideration for military threat from China - that won't happen until the US corps have drained the most they can from the US economy.
Unlike Russia which has turned out to be all smoke and mirrors, we already know China is no serious threat despite its sabre rattling and our medias response to that.
China is a manufacturer of just about everything for export to Europe and the US, in order to do that it must import just about everything, including energy from Russia. If China were to attack a western country, all of that would be cut off on day one. It would have to do it by sea, it has one aircraft carrier still being commissioned, how many of those troop carrying vessels would make it to their landing points.do you think. Maybe in another couple of decades which is still unlikely since we in the western world are pulling out of China. China is in serious economic trouble because of its visions of military grandeur and sabre rattling.
China is a manufacturer of just about everything for export to Europe and the US, in order to do that it must import just about everything, including energy from Russia. If China were to attack a western country, all of that would be cut off on day one. It would have to do it by sea, it has one aircraft carrier still being commissioned, how many of those troop carrying vessels would make it to their landing points.do you think. Maybe in another couple of decades which is still unlikely since we in the western world are pulling out of China. China is in serious economic trouble because of its visions of military grandeur and sabre rattling.
Shutting off all trade with China would bring a deal of pain to the West as well as China. They are already nibbling, (Pacific Islands.) Sooner or later they will think they can take a little bit bigger nibble.
China is an economic threat because corporate America handed them all the required tools. The corporations could do that because they bought enough legislators and even a President to make sure it happened. Now the corporations are strip mining American wealth to invest even more in the growing Chinese economy and the legislators are making sure that continues to happen. On top of that US universities welcomed full-price foreign students, which also allowed tuition and student housing inflation, to train as competitors to the US to go back to China with top American technology insights.
The serious threat to the US is the US and the US alone.
If there is consideration for military threat from China - that won't happen until the US corps have drained the most they can from the US economy.
The serious threat to the US is the US and the US alone.
If there is consideration for military threat from China - that won't happen until the US corps have drained the most they can from the US economy.
Selling out the technical and proprietary secrets and knowledge just for the access to the market will, of course, go down as one of the stupidest moves of 20th and 21st century corporate history.
i don't throw too many stones however, as Europe has a trotter in the trough on this as well.
When our company pulled out it was because China banned our products because our government had the audacity to ask for an investigation into the origin's of covid. It hurt, it hurt alot we had to mothball, decommission or repurpose about 30% of our infrastructure. Two years on they want to trade again, well no chance in hell, we will not invest again regardless of what our government has to say about that. There are many companies doing the same globally, building their infrastructure back home. China is in trouble, Huge, we can see it happening already, by 2026 China will be lucky to survive in it's current economy and it doesn't have anything else to trade, unlike Russia.
We in the west have been withdrawing from China since Covid broke out, there are some companies like apple that cannot withdraw quickly, because all of it's assembly platforms, not to be confused with manufacturing, are in China. I would be surprised if any of the big names are still in China beyond 2026.
When our company pulled out it was because China banned our products because our government had the audacity to ask for an investigation into the origin's of covid. It hurt, it hurt alot we had to mothball, decommission or repurpose about 30% of our infrastructure. Two years on they want to trade again, well no chance in hell, we will not invest again regardless of what our government has to say about that. There are many companies doing the same globally, building their infrastructure back home. China is in trouble, Huge, we can see it happening already, by 2026 China will be lucky to survive in it's current economy and it doesn't have anything else to trade, unlike Russia.
When our company pulled out it was because China banned our products because our government had the audacity to ask for an investigation into the origin's of covid. It hurt, it hurt alot we had to mothball, decommission or repurpose about 30% of our infrastructure. Two years on they want to trade again, well no chance in hell, we will not invest again regardless of what our government has to say about that. There are many companies doing the same globally, building their infrastructure back home. China is in trouble, Huge, we can see it happening already, by 2026 China will be lucky to survive in it's current economy and it doesn't have anything else to trade, unlike Russia.
It is about time we got serious about bringing back steel and aluminium processing to Oz too. With our abundant wind and solar potential it's the biggest thing we could do for carbon neutralisation, and great for the economy and regional Oz.
I agree with you on China's near-term prospects. I find Peter Zeihan's conclusions there very persuasive - they're stuffed. And really, the way they treat the international community and global trade network on which their whole economy was based, they've only got themselves to blame. As others here have suggested, their best bet is probably to wait until Russia collapses following the Ukraine fiasco and pick over the pieces, starting with Outer Manchuria. A lot more realistic for them than Taiwan, and gives them access to some of what Russia's got and they need.
We in the west have been withdrawing from China since Covid broke out, there are some companies like apple that cannot withdraw quickly, because all of it's assembly platforms, not to be confused with manufacturing, are in China. I would be surprised if any of the big names are still in China beyond 2026.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...er-2023-04-06/
Macron is back from China and is dutifully parroting the message that Xi taught him.
https://www.politico.eu/article/emma...ure-interview/
At least we know that France is consistent, Macron is following de Gaulle's policies perfectly.
The French people must be assured.
https://www.politico.eu/article/emma...ure-interview/
At least we know that France is consistent, Macron is following de Gaulle's policies perfectly.
The French people must be assured.
I am sure that Zelensky recognises that France is the least supportive of the major euro-nations ( a quick look at support given to Ukraine would illustrate that very clearly ) and whilst he may be happy to shake hands and have meetings to gain more favourable PR, is unlikely to be taking advice from the Élysée, especially when it is linked to a visit to China.
It doesn't look like it's going to change in anyone living now's lifetime.
I think resisting pressure to become America's followers is sound advice. There is no guarantee that the US will always be Europe's friend or that even as friends their support will be reliable and vice versa. What would happen if the interests of the US came into conflict with those of Europe? Allies and co-conspirators by all means but followers implies a degree of subservience. We should always sup with a longer spoon with any state that may not always have our best interests at heart,
I think resisting pressure to become America's followers is sound advice. There is no guarantee that the US will always be Europe's friend or that even as friends their support will be reliable and vice versa. What would happen if the interests of the US came into conflict with those of Europe? Allies and co-conspirators by all means but followers implies a degree of subservience. We should always sup with a longer spoon with any state that may not always have our best interests at heart,
The point was about resisting pressure to become a US follower..
The verb implies a change from the status quo, You cannot become what you already are.
As you point out, Europe is not a US follower. No one has argued otherwise.
Your previous argument( #1544 )was the Europe was not a follower and with recent exception (according to you) never had been. Now in #1546 you say there is/has been . You cannot have it both ways,
You can argue all alone with yourself from here on out.
I'll just watch.
I think resisting pressure to become America's followers is sound advice. There is no guarantee that the US will always be Europe's friend or that even as friends their support will be reliable and vice versa. What would happen if the interests of the US came into conflict with those of Europe? Allies and co-conspirators by all means but followers implies a degree of subservience. We should always sup with a longer spoon with any state that may not always have our best interests at heart,
So did Politico and allegedly M. Macron. The EU is quite a large part of Europe though
It’s pretty clear that Macron was talking about a European Military organisation under the leadership of France, not the EU and not NATO. You could argue that splitting most of continental Europe away from NATO, effectively destroying it, would be warmly welcomed in Moscow and Beijing.
Only part of Russia is part of Europe geographically speaking but it is not part of the EU whereas Hungary et al are. To save you the trouble, here is a list of the member states. You will note the UK is sadly not part any more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member...European_Union
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member...European_Union