[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #50

China has many additional problems. Wide regional differences, different ethnic groups, transition from communist command economy, the urge to push development much faster than these smaller countries. Being swept into globalist tide which can be quite destabilizing if not handled properly.

To think that PRC can pull what S. Korea or Taiwan pulled in equal or shorter period of time would be highly unrealistic. PRC is developing in the age of more unstable economic environment worldwide.

[formosaplastics]

The whole process of "globalization" itself is a China-centric process. Globalization means 1) find new sources of cheap products and 2) find new markets. China fits both bills. Globalization basically focuses on two countries, America and China, and their symbiotic relationship with respect to #1 and #2 above. The rest of the world, particularly the dysfunctional Third World republics that seem to require one IMF bailout after another, are almost not even involved. So this new era of globalization is not some "unstable" new situation that threatens China but rather an ideal situation that directly benefits China's development. After 20 short years of capitalism, China's already got the #2 economy in the world. It's the #1 market for both cell phone and fixed-line phones, but not only that, this year it became the #2 market for PC's ahead of Japan. While Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc. all have seen their best economic days behind them, China has the next half-century to experience its "exponential" growth phase.