I would like to hear more about this: particularly, that the first belt and road initiative has apparently languished in unprofitable investments and non-repayment of loans, secondly China's unenviable and possibly insoluble domestic situation with (a) historically unprecedented population deflation (b) catastophic real estate bubble that has impoverished the entire middle class (c) China's inability either to feed or fuel itself without massive imports (d) China's continued reliance on the buying power (and inclinations) of the America middle class (e) China's acute water shortage problem and equally acute pollution problem (f) whether China's PLA - armed forces - are not equally or more corrupt as Russia's. China's new belt and road initiative seems more like a distraction.
China "owns" all its banks and governments that are in debt, repayments by ordinary Chinese are suspended and the workout is internally and gradually done. I personally don't believe China is a crazed, imperialist nation, as is Russia, or else there would be no Korean peninsula or southeast Asia. It's been a Sleeping Giant and now is trying to set up a parallel network as the West has. GDP-wise China is half the size of the US and EU.
Good news that China will not supply arms to Russia. However, the dark side of this is that China will, with big $$, create another problem for those countries not wishing to support a communist country with a very brutal past. Hopefully, we have learned that 'haste' may create a worse situation that can develop into a huge mess. NOT unlike the current UN Security council that is laughable in its current state.
Thank you for an excellent summary of global politics and China's quest for economic power over its client base including need for natural resources from other countries. There's a quote from Rashida Rowe that reads... "Before you count your friends make sure you can count on them. Some friends are only around when they want something from you but are never there when you need something from them." I guess I'll read George Orwell's 1984 book for the 3rd time?
I became interested in China's behavior when I noticed the flurry of activity that stared in early March 2023 with the appointment of Li Qiang as Premier. Xi has long complained about the US's unfair advantage over other countries who are trade dependent on the US dollar. He also included the elimination of the use of sanctions as a condition in his 12 point peace plan. Is Xi's linkage of peace and trade an escalation of the "hybrid war" against the US, sans Russia?
For the last couple of years our world has fallen into a weak handbasket thru goofy policies with maybe powerful opponents, both military and economic, flexing.
Think about how the WWars slowly started. This seems familiar. Could it go nuclear?
I would like to hear more about this: particularly, that the first belt and road initiative has apparently languished in unprofitable investments and non-repayment of loans, secondly China's unenviable and possibly insoluble domestic situation with (a) historically unprecedented population deflation (b) catastophic real estate bubble that has impoverished the entire middle class (c) China's inability either to feed or fuel itself without massive imports (d) China's continued reliance on the buying power (and inclinations) of the America middle class (e) China's acute water shortage problem and equally acute pollution problem (f) whether China's PLA - armed forces - are not equally or more corrupt as Russia's. China's new belt and road initiative seems more like a distraction.
PRIOR NEWSLETTERS on these issues you may like: https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/the-global-debt-bomb and https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/chinas-ticking-time-bomb -- a third companion newsletter is the piece I wrote about how China is dealing with its debt problems by nationalizing its banking/financial system https://dianefrancis.substack.com/p/chinas-vanishing-wealth
China "owns" all its banks and governments that are in debt, repayments by ordinary Chinese are suspended and the workout is internally and gradually done. I personally don't believe China is a crazed, imperialist nation, as is Russia, or else there would be no Korean peninsula or southeast Asia. It's been a Sleeping Giant and now is trying to set up a parallel network as the West has. GDP-wise China is half the size of the US and EU.
Decoupling russia is first and necessary condition
Good news that China will not supply arms to Russia. However, the dark side of this is that China will, with big $$, create another problem for those countries not wishing to support a communist country with a very brutal past. Hopefully, we have learned that 'haste' may create a worse situation that can develop into a huge mess. NOT unlike the current UN Security council that is laughable in its current state.
Thank you for an excellent summary of global politics and China's quest for economic power over its client base including need for natural resources from other countries. There's a quote from Rashida Rowe that reads... "Before you count your friends make sure you can count on them. Some friends are only around when they want something from you but are never there when you need something from them." I guess I'll read George Orwell's 1984 book for the 3rd time?
Very good comment!!!
seems like a good thing for the larger world, compete in helping "a rising tide lifts all all boats" sort of thing.
If everybody stays peaceful it's a great outcome and China isn't Russia
So far -I don't trust China but that's my issue.
Excellent, thank you
The world has lost an amazing human being because of the fire in Old Montreal. Nathan Sears, 35 years old. https://gofund.me/5c06d989. My heart is broken. Nathan's focus was on Global Security. He was working on existential threats and had just gone to Montreal for one night to speak at a conference. Here is just one of his papers: https://www.academia.edu/45646432/Great_Powers_Polarity_and_Existential_Threats_to_Humanity_An_Analysis_of_the_Distribution_of_the_Forces_of_Total_Destruction_in_International_Security
I became interested in China's behavior when I noticed the flurry of activity that stared in early March 2023 with the appointment of Li Qiang as Premier. Xi has long complained about the US's unfair advantage over other countries who are trade dependent on the US dollar. He also included the elimination of the use of sanctions as a condition in his 12 point peace plan. Is Xi's linkage of peace and trade an escalation of the "hybrid war" against the US, sans Russia?
Yes I agree. It's the battle of the hegemons minus Russia
For the last couple of years our world has fallen into a weak handbasket thru goofy policies with maybe powerful opponents, both military and economic, flexing.
Think about how the WWars slowly started. This seems familiar. Could it go nuclear?
Where do I buy my war bonds?