Posted on 03/22/2018 10:52:54 PM PDT by drop 50 and fire for effect
As a foreigner in China, you get used to hearing the retort “You don’t know China!” spat at you by locals. It’s usually a knee-jerk reaction to some uncomfortable modern issue or in defense of one of the many historical myths children in the mainland are taught as unshakeable facts about the world. But it’s also true. We don’t know China. Nor, however, do the Chinese — not even the government.
We don’t know China because, in ways that have generally not been acknowledged, virtually every piece of information issued from or about the country is unreliable, partial, or distorted. The sheer scale of the country, mixed with a regime of ever-growing censorship and a pervasive paranoia about sharing information, has crippled our ability to know China. Official data is repeatedly smoothed for both propaganda purposes and individual career ambitions. That goes as much for Chinese as it does for foreigners; access may sometimes be easier for Chinese citizens, but the costs of going after information can be even higher.
We don’t know the real figures for GDP growth, for example. GDP growth has long been one of the main criteria used to judge officials’ careers — as a result, the relevant data is warped at every level, since the folk reporting it are the same ones benefitting from it being high. If you add up the GDP figures issued by the provinces, the sum is 10 percent higher than the figure ultimately issued by the national government, which in itself is tweaked to hit politicized targets. Provincial governments have increasingly admitted to this in recent years, but the fakery has been going on for decades. We don’t know the extent of bad loans, routinely concealed by banks. We don’t know the makeup of most Chinese financial assets.
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Sure. Check back in a decade. This is a board called “Free Republic” two things of which China is NOT. And I prefer to place my bets on victorious truths, not lies and anti-Christ despots. Thank you.
And to add: it should be also noted that when President Reagan came to power, the established view was that the USSR was invincible. It wasn't. And neither is the neo-Maoist China of today.
Anyone who has spent time there knows this. The only thing I trusted were my own eyes and individuals that earned my trust. One misstep and the person was off the list. The adage take care of your people and they’ll take care of you served very well. There were many times my reports would come to me and say ‘look here’s the situation, but I can’t say that in the meetings’. If I couldn’t do anything about it then I said got it keep me informed of the real story and try not to say anything. If I could do something then I would ask questions that eventually got me to the hard ones and opened it up. Big key was not to embarrass Anyone.
——Check back in a decade——
That is of course the best course. Check later.
While China is infact neither Free nor a Republic, there has been enormous change for the better in many peoples lives. The change is not total and because of the enormity of the population, certainly not uniform.
Meanwhile look back over the past decade for a clue as to the future.
I am guided by an article in Forbes that did just that. The article was concerned about the New River Delta. The New River is the land of the Taipan, north of the mouth and the enclaves of Hong Kong and Macao. Taipan established Hong Kong to trade with the enormous source of goods and market for products
I can’t remember all the precise details but in a decade, the delta population has grown from nine cities to a pretty much solid urban area with a population I believe of 68 million mostly young people. That relatively small area has the 13 th largest world economy. That area alone has an economy the size of Russia and Mexico and I believe Australia. I may have these examples wrong but the fact remains, This area of present China has a tremendous impact on the nation and thus the world.
This area has close ties to the various overseas Chinese communities in Singapore, Manila, Taiwan and San Francisco. There is travel back and forth by the young people involved in bigtime business.
Xi has no choice but th recognize this fact and deal with it. Old school Communist oppression will not be tolerated. While we watch and wait there will be change that is presently unknown in substance and scope.
bert you seem to know a lot about ChiComs. You on the payroll?
More with some correction.....
The region is the Pearl River Delta, not the New River Delta
The population is 108 million
here’s the Forbes article....
I don’t live under a rock. I’m a man of the world and by your extremely narrow minded and ignorant view a globalist. Of course your globalist definition is narrow minded and intellectually vacuous
Read this and then think on it rather than blather about free traitors. Your general ignorance can be cured by enlightenment.
Um, You are a full of crap globalist hack. I am pro America which does not make me an isolationist you dolt.
Actually, you are antiAmerica, anti business, anti industry, Hiding behind a faux patriot fig leaf to preach your archaic nonsense.
The Patriot’s motivations will always remain a mystery to the traitor.
I read the article, and do not doubt the potential of China for true greatness nor underestimate the epic grandeur of the history and beauty of the culture from which China descends...
But just like Russia needs to rid itself of Soviet poison, so too does China...poison from the same source but injected by Mao. It pollutes, corrupts, and chokes the country from truly blossoming.
You are in fact correct.
However, you are insisting on backing your arguments with facts no longer true. The fact the Pearl River Delta has so dramatically changed is an indication that there is pretty dramatic change in the government. In addition to the young people adopting western ways on a massive scale and business escaping the mainland there is pretty significant change in academics.
The largest Initial Public Offering in the history of the New York Stock Exchange was for Ali Baba, a chinese business to business Ebay like trading site. That offering is the work of Chicaps..... not Chicoms.
I see from time various articles by Chinese academics on subjects of interest to the world. Often they are in joint venture with american or European scientists. This is especially true of paleontology where outsiders are allowed in to china to study the fossils.
Regarding Russia...... They had a chance and blew it. They were given both money and opportunity. They stole the money and failed to implement the opportunity. Russia could be China but lacked the native business and industrial initiative to go forward like China.
Lastly, nowhere did I state China has progressed to the level of American or European or even Asian democracies. China remains Communist. What can’t be denied is the fact that there has been tremendous change. How it will turn out in 50 or a hundred yeas we do not know. I suspect the young leaders are walking the tight rope between the old, living, communists and the young demanding change.
I think if there is one thing from history I gather, it is this: the USA is perpetually underestimated or our demise is being predicted by wishful (often envious) onlookers. Even when at its peak of power on paper.
The principles we claim to fight for and struggle to live up to — are risky and almost seem destined to fail! “Freedom” is risky and fundamentally against the tendencies of “empires” before us and “kingdoms” ...
This country, when one visits, seems modest and simplistic by comparison to the grand displays of other great powers...And yet that is what keeps people so captivated and confounded. How the “common people” often from the most unassuming places and towns - truly are the source of this country’s strength, success, and power.
Proudly on the Trump train, on “team” USA at this juncture in history.
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