China Surpassed U.S. On Consumer Goods

Straits Times ^ | February 16, 2005

[srm913]

This is a mixed bag, as is everything else relating to China. It's certainly coming at a price. During the time I lived there, I breathed what has to be some of the world's foulest air. My allergies went haywire.

[NEBUCHADNEZZAR1961]

When this Chinese bubble burts there are going to be a lot of unhappy investors in this country.

[EagleUSA]

When this Chinese bubble burts there are going to be a lot of unhappy investors in this country.
======
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.

[shaggy eel]

,,, will it burst, or reach a plateau?

[snowsislander]

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.

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".

[paudio]

And they don't see any problem that China is given a pass in Kyoto Protocol...

[investigateworld]

And I for one will be ROTFLMAO, till those investors hand their demands for payment to the US taxpayers.

[jimbergin]

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?

[investigateworld]

ROTFLMAO= Rolling on the floor laughing my @ss off.
(stepping onto the soapbox):
Every night I ask the good Lord to watch over the little ones, mine, yours, the ones close, the ones far away. As China has a policy of persecuting Christians and people of Faith, I cannot shop there. While ALL big box stores peddle Chinese crap, Sam Walton was the pioneer. It was stated he if can get away with it in the 'Bible Belt', it will fly everywhere, showing that the bulk of so-called Christians to be more interested in their pocketbooks than living the Faith.
And if just 'making a buck' is the end all, then our forefathers where wrong in setting up this great land of ours. They pledged the honor and fortunes in bringing about this experiment. With the attitude it just 'money', then Bernie Schwartz is justified in selling to the Chicoms all that missile technology. ***Now stepping off soapbox***

[Mase]

"Even in consumer goods, the Chinese have overtaken the Americans in refrigerators, television sets and cell phones."

_________

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.

[Nathan Zachary]

"Even in consumer goods, the Chinese have overtaken the Americans in refrigerators, television sets and cell phones."

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.

[Clemenza]

1985: The Japanese are takin' er JAHBS!

1995: The Mexicans are takin' er JAHBS!

2005: The Chinese are takin' er JAHBS!

[srm913]

Too true.
The Democrats don't have ideas.
They simply unwrap and/or recycle their old clichés.

[Pearls Before Swine]

WASHINGTON - China has surpassed the US in consumption of every basic food, energy and industrial commodity except oil.

And the Kyoto protocol exempts them as an underdeveloped country.

[El Gato]

China has surpassed the US in consumption of every basic food, energy and industrial commodity except oil.

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.

[NEBUCHADNEZZAR1961]

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?

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.

[stboz]

When this Chinese bubble burts there are going to be a lot of unhappy investors in this country.

The Chinese bubble will not pop until somebody else's does first...somebody who has been the been consumer for a while now.

[Freemarketman]

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.

[Mase]

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.

---

So Neb, what's your plan for making China a better place? Are you aware that in third world countries most children work to help support their families or don't you get out much? I guess begging for food and watching your family suffer is better than making a few dollars a day working in a sweat shop and feeding them. Millions of Chinese are pouring into the cities desperately trying to find the very jobs you condemn. The fact that foreigners like jimbergin and myself are investing in China is how those jobs are being created.

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?

[NEBUCHADNEZZAR1961]

So Neb, what's your plan for making China a better place? Are you aware that in third world countries most children work to help support their families or don't you get out much? I guess begging for food and watching your family suffer is better than making a few dollars a day working in a sweat shop and feeding them. Millions of Chinese are pouring into the cities desperately trying to find the very jobs you condemn. The fact that foreigners like jimbergin and myself are investing in China is how those jobs are being created.

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.