Posted on 02/16/2005 3:17:11 PM PST by srm913
China surpassed US on consumer goods
WASHINGTON - China has surpassed the US in consumption of every basic food, energy and industrial commodity except oil.
Even in consumer goods, the Chinese have overtaken the Americans in refrigerators, television sets and cell phones.
A report released on Wednesday by the environmental advocate Earth Policy Institute said only in automobiles does China still lag, with barely one-tenth the number of motor vehicles on its roads as in the US.
And in terms of per capita, consumption in China remains far below that of the Americans.
The report showed that China's 1.3 billion people ate 64 million tons of meat in 2004, for instance, compared with 38 million tons consumed by the 297 million people in America.
Fertiliser to grow more food is a measure of more growth to come in China's food consumption.
It was double that of the US in 2004, and both countries cover roughly 9.6 million sq km.
Steel is the commodity that most reflects a modernising country, and China was using more than twice as much as the US by 2003. "Steel consumption has climbed to levels not seen in any other country," the report said.
To feed its consumption, China imports massive quantities of grain, soybeans, iron ore, aluminum, platinum and many other products, which the report said puts its economy 'at the centre of the world raw materials economy.
Its voracious appetite for materials is driving up not only commodity prices but ocean shipping rates as well.'
When this Chinese bubble burts there are going to be a lot of unhappy investors in this country.
When this Chinese bubble burts there are going to be a lot of unhappy investors in this country.
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There are too many things that can go wrong there. Capitalism, collapse of the Commie government, higher standard of living demands, and FREEDOM. While some of that may be poetic, realities will effect China in a big way in the next ten years.
,,, will it burst, or reach a plateau?
The report showed that China's 1.3 billion people ate 64 million tons of meat in 2004, for instance, compared with 38 million tons consumed by the 297 million people in America.
I don't regard that as a very good example of "far below": if the figures are accurate, that comes to 98 lbs of meat per person in China per year versus 256 lbs of meat per person in the U.S. per year, or 0.27 pounds of meat per person per day in China versus 0.70 pounds of meat per person per day in the U.S.
That's less than a factor of 3, which I myself don't regard as "far".
And they don't see any problem that China is given a pass in Kyoto Protocol...
And I for one will be ROTFLMAO, till those investors hand their demands for payment to the US taxpayers.
can you tell me what ROTFLMAO means? BTW I am a big invester in Chinese companies. Have made a lot of money. But have no problem selling. I see no reason not to invest there if I can make a buck. Isn't that what capitalism is all about?
"Even in consumer goods, the Chinese have overtaken the Americans in refrigerators, television sets and cell phones."
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Could this be the consumer class developing that so many said would never be created? With GDP of $1.65 trillion and a growth rate of 9.5% there is a great deal of wealth being generated that will mean tremendous opportunities for American businesses.
with 4 eimes the population, you would hope so. Not to mention that the American economy is a well established one, whereas a chinaman is on his very first icebox.
1995: The Mexicans are takin' er JAHBS!
2005: The Chinese are takin' er JAHBS!
Too true.
The Democrats don't have ideas.
They simply unwrap and/or recycle their old clichés.
And the Kyoto protocol exempts them as an underdeveloped country.
Probably because they use relatively more coal in their energy mix. No ChiCom EPA, and they have plentiful supplies. The coal was one of the things the Japanese wanted, and got, when they invaded Manchuria.
Cool, congrats on making lots and lots of "Blood" money! Yes, Capitalism is about selling one's soul to make a buck. Those companies you invested in, well they obtain their profits from child labor and slave labor.
The Chinese bubble will not pop until somebody else's does first...somebody who has been the been consumer for a while now.
That's a little overstated although it does happen, mostly involving prisoners. I have visited many Chinese factories over the last 5 to 10 years and have never seen any evidence of child or slave labour. The workers I saw, while not exactly highly paid, were more than happy to get the wages they were receiving. I also disagree with your comment on capitalism, which has done more to prolong and enrich people’s lives than any other system. You’d prefer to live in a socialist state?
Oh, and Nathan Zachary, not to get all PC on you, but “chinaman” is pretty offensive to most Chinese people and, as someone who lives in Hong Kong, to me as well.
So that is what you say to yourself at night as you fall asleep to sooth your guilty conscious! Man, you should bottle that and sell it to all the other "investors" who are helping China exploit its people.
Capitalism does work and it is the only thing that is going to transform China into a better place. But, maybe you have a better plan?
Oh really? Its the "only" thing? Sounds like you've got it all figured out. The people who live and work in the re-education camps turning out the cheap products (which make you a hefty profit) are proud that you are fighting for them! Its also nice to know you're "investing" in China to "transform" it and not to gouge, oh I mean make a profit, on that nation.
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