Posted on 01/24/2019 3:37:38 AM PST by vannrox
This article was written in response to a discussion that I had with a friend of mine. He made the statement, “You wouldn’t be able to believe how these (Chinese) people lived! You and I could never live like that!” Turns out that he saw some propaganda from the UK and was convinced that the Chinese lived in windowless hovels. Not so. Not by a long shot.
Over the last thirty years, China has experienced a period of enormous growth. It began in the 1990’s. It started when the progressive socialist policies of Mr. Mao were replaced with the Free-Market Conservative policies of Mr. Deng. The result was predictable and resulted in an explosion in the overall quality of life for all Chinese people. A period of exceptional growth ensued and a middle class appeared. Here, we talk about the direct result of that change. We discuss the Apartment Houses that Chinese middle class live in.
Typically, most Chinese live in apartment complexes. There is a percentage, of course, that have their own houses. There are those that share, what we in the West refer to as “Townhouses”. There are those that occupy (rent-free) ancient dilapidated old complexes that can still be seen everywhere. (Why not? They might be old and ugly, but living in them is free!!!!) Not to mention, the others that live on farms, villages, and in the hinder-land.
Let’s talk about the Chinese apartment houses. Chinese Apartments
In China, the apartment complex consists of an area that is surrounded with a fence and is guarded by guards (24-7) with video cameras and gates. Within that complex are the buildings that make up the complex. Now, in China, you might have a
(Excerpt) Read more at metallicman.com ...
Both very informative perspectives. One of the most interesting statistics is the the chicoms have used more concrete in some period, say 5 or 10 years i can’t remember which, than we have used in this country EVER. Hard to imagine how they can make that much good quality cement. The energy demand to do that alone is mind boggling.
Someone sent me a set of pictures of all the great things they were doing in china. Impressive but it looked like a lot of well executed one-off copies of something conceived somewhere else, like here where the execution was blocked in some way. That is probably an excuse. You can’t take away from the fact they have done these things and made them work and done it quickly.
On the subject of fakery, lots of places in the Middle East are like that. Beautiful facades with nothing inside.
China are up and coming though and a force to be reckoned with. They are smart, industrious and many. They are not so much a house divided as we are. Communism has taken care of that. A benevolent dictatorship, if you can find one, is probably one of the better forms of government.
Well they have built several modern cities with high rises etc that are empty. Essentially all ghost cities, built because someone said build them but no economic infrastructure to support a population to live in them.
When I first went to Korea in 1995 with the US Army, I flew into Kimpo (Seoul) in the late evening. Once we cleared customs, we were loaded on a bus and driven through Seoul to Yongsan Garrison. As the bus navigated the city in the foggy, wee morning hours I felt like I was on the set of Blade Runner...modern skyscrapers, adorned with huge screens, radically designed, unfamiliar Hyundais, Sangyongs and other cars zipping in and out of traffic, etc.
At that time, in the US, cell phones were still pretty much the domain of the wealthy, connected and "important" people. Every where you looked on the crowded streets, every Korean was talking on their cell.
Yes...that pic vannrox posted has buildings VERY much like what is in Vancouver, BC
Korea is a WAY ahead of us in electronics. Every time I go there, I look at what they have... knowing it’ll come to the US in 3-5 years.
They have LIVE TV in their cars back during the World Cup in 2002. I know, cause I watched it.
Are you sure?
I thought ALL the young ladies in China looked like super models.
(SARC)
No question, they are able to BUILD THINGS like no country on earth. They don't really have to worry about things like eminent domain, or compensation. They just TAKE what they need. The main rail station in Shanghai has THIRTY platforms... most of which are High Speed trains that hit 300-350 Km/hr. (~200 mph)
They are much more monolithic in thought than we are. This is a disadvantage for us in this trade war. Starbucks and Apple are easily identifiable US brands that they can easily avoid. The government doesn't have to tell them to do it... they just will! And, our companies will suffer. Meanwhile, practically ALL of the things they send to us are components, or raw materials for US branded products. What Chinese product would we boycott? There aren't any.
Chinese people aren't worried about the United States. Most of them never even think about us. As a country, they are NOT our friends. They are clearly intent on flexing their new found muscle around the world. They steal technology with impunity. They see it as a matter of their own survival: To take whatever they need, and they work to make it better and BEAT us with it.
I guess... the only good thing about them is: It's rather easy to guess what their position will be on any topic. It will be: What is BEST for China. That's all they care about.. and, finally, we have a President who wants us to think the same way about ourselves.
The incredibly high concrete/Portland Cement consumption I believe was during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.
The Chinese were buying all the available Portland Cement that could be loaded on a boat and shipped to the river.
It created shortages on the west coast, Florida and other Gulf Coast states. It also created shortages in Canada, and any other port areas that could load boats/barges of Portland cement.
Most of what you said, I fully agree with... but, I think this statement is a bit exaggerated. I've been in some pretty "small places", and have still found accommodations to be acceptable.
I've been in towns so small, the people looked at me like I was an escaped zoo animal with three eyes. Places where they burn lump coal in EVERY business in their downtown, with stove pipes puking smoke out the front.
Power out 2-3 hours nearly every day... large 'critters' crawling around in my room. But, still.. there were some Mercedes cars driving around on newly built roads, and restaurants bustling with people. And, I was able to find a BRAND NEW Holiday Inn, where they treated a Spire men
Pollution is horrible, for sure... In Beijing, on a day when it was CLEAR for 300 miles around the city, I couldn't see the ground from the 5th floor of my hotel due to smog. It's awful.
The Chinese government closed nearly 7000 chemical plants in the past two years... just CLOSE THEM! Poof... no more permit for you. Meanwhile, they favor and push larger, more modern plants... often being constructed by private owners.
Some of these private owners are Millionaires living in a world where everything is 70% off in price. They are demi-Gods. It's crazy.
If that had been the title of your posted article, I would have agreed with you.
Instead, you posted an article titled “What Chinese Apartment Houses are Like,” and followed up with a portrait photograph of downtown Shenzhen.
Bottom Line....
China is a one party authoritarian police state, and dear leader Xi recently appointed himself dictator for life.
If you feel comfortable doing business there, well, congratulations, but you have a bigger risk appetite than I do.
The China building boom is crazy.
I have learned that one aspect of the boom is people with disposable income doing what Chinese have always done...invested in land/real estate. They reason that dynasties/governments may come and go but the land/real estate will remain.
The problem now is the apartment buildings the investors are buying are falling apart before the investors can turn a profit. Not good in the long run.
When people stop investing because they are losing money the bubble will burst and the China Miracle will turn into 40 miles of hard road.
The problem with benevolent dictatorships is they are one heartbeat away from becoming a despotic hell.
I prefer the Republic the founders gave us.
One reason the CCP has been successful in China is because the citizens have never known the freedom that western countries have had. They are accustomed to a top down government and just go with it.
I have read that chairman Xi is ramping up the nationalist fervor so much that foreigners who have lived there are starting to leave. Not sure how true it is.
So you’ve actually traveled in China then. I would like to just to see the place but sadly can’t afford it.
I have watched many videos made by expats living there who have pretty much settled in, married Chinese women and started families.
Their videos are honest if sometimes less than complimentary towards China.
They love the people but aren’t above showing the bad stuff.
One video I saw was a small town where a man had a couple of rats the size of cats tied to his belt. They were his families supper.
Did you see any milk dogs in your travels?
China only seems to fix things when they have gotten so far out of hand they have no choice.
The pollution isn’t only the air and water. They have been dredging so much sand from the rivers the fish can’t live there. The rivers are mud brown. That in turn flows out to the sea which destroys the salt water fisheries. China has toned down the sand dredging but the damage is done for the time being.
To us westerners China is, as Churchill said about Russia, “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”.
Or as Kipling said “east is east, west is west and ne’er the twain shall meet”.
A desk that turns into a bed. This will revolutionize the nooner.
It gets interesting just on his home page:
“After my retirement from MAJestic, I left the United States and moved to China. “
MAJestic being the key word there. Moving to China was apparently to suit his Asian fetish.
I’ve been all over China... from Hainan to Shenyang. Kunming to Dalian. From Ningxia to Hangzhou... and a LOT of little places in between. I was just in Nanjing, Dezhou and Taixing two weeks ago.
It’s the kind of place where you can see pretty much anything. I have seen poultry slaughtered in an open air market. And, fish? Oh my Lord.... Fish cleaned and sold on open tables... but, I saw the same in Venice. That’s not a sign of poverty. It’s a culture that cherishes freshness..
I agree though.. it’s a mystery. I’ve been there at least 3 times a year (Many years, much more) since 2002. I have direct reports that live there. Direct reports from there that live here. Many close friends... but, still... it’s hard to completely understand. So many things are, just... different. In almost every way imaginable.
But, it is a magnificent culture. They are an amazing people.
“But, it is a magnificent culture. They are an amazing people.”
Yes they are.
I’ve seen how they treat foreigners. For the most part they love to have their pictures taken with the laowai or wàiguó pengyou. (Yeah, I looked the last one up.)
I’ve heard stories of travelers being very politely “brow beaten” into going into their homes and having a meal. They don’t have much but they share to make friends. A “face” thing I guess.
One can only imagine what China would be like if the nationalists had won instead of the communists. Mainland China with the prosperity and drive of Taiwan? Wow!
Unfortunately Mao wasted two generations with his plans. His Great Leap Forward nearly ruined the country. Going to be interesting to see how Xi deals with the youngsters now that they have had a taste of prosperity.
Model bullet trains with 9 inch skyscrapers and little people that do what they're told should be standard issue to all Democrat leaders. It would be an outlet for their phallic symbol obsessions they try to force on the American people.
They are a real economic threat in terms of undercutting our industries, but they are hardly a superpower. Both India and Red China are nuclear powers, they have the largest populations in the world, and masses of people still pee in their drinking water. They have very modern cities, and primitive areas encircling them; India itself, for all the tech boom, still has problems providing reliable power even in its cities.
I wish more people understood what you said.
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