China's expansionist strategy
Yes but is the US willing to spend American blood and treasure to save Taiwan especially given Trump’s aversion to international engagement ? My bet is there would be lots of bluster but when push came to shove there would be no military response, especially if China threw in some trade sweeteners for the US to look away. For Trump everything is transactional.
Yes but is China willing to spend Chinese blood and treasure to annexe Taiwan
The last adventure that China went on was an invasion of Vietnam: That was an unmitigated disaster so don't knock off Taiwan yet.
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Cool guys,
. Maybe the only thing going for them is the ability to influence popular culture. But Hollywood can only inject a limited amount of pro-American-ness into their movies before it becomes ridiculous. And even they want the Chinese market, so I can’t see China being portrayed as the baddies in the next Hollywood blockbuster anytime soon.
. Maybe the only thing going for them is the ability to influence popular culture. But Hollywood can only inject a limited amount of pro-American-ness into their movies before it becomes ridiculous. And even they want the Chinese market, so I can’t see China being portrayed as the baddies in the next Hollywood blockbuster anytime soon.
"the Chinese have their own language film industry."
Better not tell Trump - he'll have another grievance to rant on about............
Better not tell Trump - he'll have another grievance to rant on about............
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Last time I wandered round shopping malls in several major cities in China the one thing that struck me about the cinemas was the almost complete absence of Western films. Just like Bollywood produces more output than Hollywood, the Chinese have their own language film industry. OK, Harry Potter and James Bond may still do it for them, but quite rightly their heroes and heroines these days are home grown.
Or state policy? Given that -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...mainland_China
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Last time I wandered round shopping malls in several major cities in China the one thing that struck me about the cinemas was the almost complete absence of Western films. Just like Bollywood produces more output than Hollywood, the Chinese have their own language film industry. OK, Harry Potter and James Bond may still do it for them, but quite rightly their heroes and heroines these days are home grown.
Onboard the plane I did not see any screen (for inflight entertainment)
Nearly got killed by blokes trying to get hold of the microphone.
Yes but is the US willing to spend American blood and treasure to save Taiwan especially given Trump’s aversion to international engagement ? My bet is there would be lots of bluster but when push came to shove there would be no military response, especially if China threw in some trade sweeteners for the US to look away. For Trump everything is transactional.
Even Trump would need to act to preserve it.
Last edited by Easy Street; 8th May 2020 at 09:14.
I do look at the UK, mate, and I see a vastly different political system compared to the single person president for life dictatorship of China, a different political system where Cabinet Government by an elected political party is held to account by Parliament, numerous select committees that can, and do, grill the cabinet decision makers, live in public, and an inquisitive and hostile press as well as a voting population who have the chance to revisit their choices every five years.
I see a vastly different political system compared to the single person president for life dictatorship of China
Fareastdriver,
Very true, although mainly as regional based Warlords of one sort or another, rarely as "greater China" but your point is valid. There is one HUGE difference now though, and that is that now they DO know something different...
70 odd separatist and secession movements in China, who are as adept at blowing up train stations etc as the likes of terrorist movements a lot closer to home. Going to be hard to keep a lid on that lot for ever.
Very true, although mainly as regional based Warlords of one sort or another, rarely as "greater China" but your point is valid. There is one HUGE difference now though, and that is that now they DO know something different...
70 odd separatist and secession movements in China, who are as adept at blowing up train stations etc as the likes of terrorist movements a lot closer to home. Going to be hard to keep a lid on that lot for ever.
Invading Taiwan might take a lot of explaining to the Chinese population. They are not foreigners, they are their own blood. The Chinese economic miracle owes a lot to Taiwan as their engineers and developers taught much of what makes China tick.
The last adventure that China went on was an invasion of Vietnam: That was an unmitigated disaster so don't knock off Taiwan yet.
The last adventure that China went on was an invasion of Vietnam: That was an unmitigated disaster so don't knock off Taiwan yet.
"held to account by Parliament", - a Parliament in which governing party has a majority and can steam roller the opposition ? When did they last hold anyone to account ? probably the expenses scandal - and that was only because of public outrage
Thread Starter
Asti,
China has a system of government which rules by decree, consequently it acts like a super tanker steaming at 17 knots and cannot stop or change course for centuries, even when headed for the rocks.
There is a reason why the UK government has a "thumping majority", obviously the British people were not particularly interested in individual MP's conduct, despite what the media would try to foist on us. More that they preferred a government which executed the will of the people who elected them. Not going to happen in China is it.
And why do Her Majesties Loyal Opposition not get enough traction to steer the people in the direction they espouse? Perhaps the reason was that they do not receive enough support for what they are selling so they remain candidates for"Steam Rollering".
That's democracy.
IG.
China has a system of government which rules by decree, consequently it acts like a super tanker steaming at 17 knots and cannot stop or change course for centuries, even when headed for the rocks.
There is a reason why the UK government has a "thumping majority", obviously the British people were not particularly interested in individual MP's conduct, despite what the media would try to foist on us. More that they preferred a government which executed the will of the people who elected them. Not going to happen in China is it.
And why do Her Majesties Loyal Opposition not get enough traction to steer the people in the direction they espouse? Perhaps the reason was that they do not receive enough support for what they are selling so they remain candidates for"Steam Rollering".
That's democracy.
IG.
Asti,
China has a system of government which rules by decree, consequently it acts like a super tanker steaming at 17 knots and cannot stop or change course for centuries, even when headed for the rocks.
There is a reason why the UK government has a "thumping majority", obviously the British people were not particularly interested in individual MP's conduct, despite what the media would try to foist on us. More that they preferred a government which executed the will of the people who elected them. Not going to happen in China is it.
And why do Her Majesties Loyal Opposition not get enough traction to steer the people in the direction they espouse? Perhaps the reason was that they do not receive enough support for what they are selling so they remain candidates for"Steam Rollering".
That's democracy.
IG.
China has a system of government which rules by decree, consequently it acts like a super tanker steaming at 17 knots and cannot stop or change course for centuries, even when headed for the rocks.
There is a reason why the UK government has a "thumping majority", obviously the British people were not particularly interested in individual MP's conduct, despite what the media would try to foist on us. More that they preferred a government which executed the will of the people who elected them. Not going to happen in China is it.
And why do Her Majesties Loyal Opposition not get enough traction to steer the people in the direction they espouse? Perhaps the reason was that they do not receive enough support for what they are selling so they remain candidates for"Steam Rollering".
That's democracy.
IG.
Thread Starter
When a world event such as the twin towers attack occurs, then the British system of Government (which does not have a written constitution) can expect all parties to support the government of the day in the best interest of the British people.
That is why when this type of situation arises, dissenters can record their dissatisfaction with all parties without fear of terminal consequences. Having had a conversation with George Bush where he committed to act in concert with the Americans, together with Germany's Schroeder and France's Jacques Chirac, and having suffered a poke in the ribs by Alistair Campbell, the die was cast. As you suggest, democracy and the oppositions position got shoved into the background in the shadow of world events. It has happened before and will happen again.
The very fact that two political parties can come together in this way, is also a form of "flexible" unformalized, democracy.
IG
That is why when this type of situation arises, dissenters can record their dissatisfaction with all parties without fear of terminal consequences. Having had a conversation with George Bush where he committed to act in concert with the Americans, together with Germany's Schroeder and France's Jacques Chirac, and having suffered a poke in the ribs by Alistair Campbell, the die was cast. As you suggest, democracy and the oppositions position got shoved into the background in the shadow of world events. It has happened before and will happen again.
The very fact that two political parties can come together in this way, is also a form of "flexible" unformalized, democracy.
IG
Thread Starter
Tell that to David Kelly.
UK democracy was shown to be a sham where US told them what they were doing and UK had to get the story straight to fall into line.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. They played no part in it, had no citizens piloting the planes, did not have their Embassies providing any support for it yet the country was destroyed where as the instigators get UK weapons.
UK democracy was shown to be a sham where US told them what they were doing and UK had to get the story straight to fall into line.
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. They played no part in it, had no citizens piloting the planes, did not have their Embassies providing any support for it yet the country was destroyed where as the instigators get UK weapons.
Without wishing to stray too far from the original purpose of the thread, no one really knows why David Kelly took the ultimate option, and yes, parallels could be drawn between the actions of totalitarian regimes and the demise of David Kelly but I do not believe that it is relevant to this thread.
Perhaps the West (Europe) is now too weak and dysfunctional, as a certain Comrade Putin spouted in his Russian TV interview yesterday, and consequently would not be able to offer a more robust response to China's strategy,
IG
The scary part is the standard playbook for a dictatorship dealing with internal strife is a foreign adventure to distract the populace. Personally I think there is a increasing probability China will invade Taiwan in late October. The US will be distracted with the presidential elections so they will not react militarily, and China will use the invasion to rally the people
The notion is a bit laughable. The evidence is the public in China are beginning to return to life as normal, with no large signs of discontent. No where in the world is that evident with any lockdown really, even the gun toting rednecks in America protesting would be in a minority. China has bought several hundred million people out of poverty into the middle class in the last few decades, why would you think that the public at large is ready for revolution?
And China is not on the verge of invading Taiwan, the chance of that happening is about the same as this virus being engineered in a lab in Wuhan. Over 100 flights a day (normally) between the mainland and Taiwan, trade agreements signed between the two within the last decade. 400,000 Taiwanese work on the mainland, tens of thousands of mainland student on exchange in Taiwanese schools. Doesn’t sound like mortal enemies on the brink of war to me.
China’s SOP is economic and trade not military domination. There’s no point fighting a bloody war with your own kin and trade partners for no real benefit. Money usually trumps ideology.