How China's Military Views the United States

FBI interrupts a major Chinese hacking operation that was capable of disrupting U.S. "critical infrastructure". China's embassy in Washington denied all responsibility for the operation.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/18/politics/fbi-chinese-hacking/index.html

 

Xi Jinping is worried: China's young adults are unhappy, and have started protesting the collapsing, cratering economy. Protests have increased 18%, and 75% of the protests are about financial inequities. The Chinese no longer believe that hard work will lead to financial success--they believe that having rich parents and good connections will lead to financial success. In China, "good connections" means Communist Party connections. About 7% of the population is in the party; 93% are not.

Xi Jinping is worried about the economy - what do Chinese people think?

 

The British may have turned over a British and American navy base on Chagos Island to China. Officially, the island is being handed over to Mauritius. But China wields so much influence over Mauritius that American and British navies are expected to be pushed out and replace by the Chinese Navy. The next president, however will have a chance to sway Mauritius towards accepting the western presence there. (Fortunately, that president will not be Trump.)

‘America will be furious and Beijing delighted’: How Starmer handed Chagos to China

 

Catholic churches in China are getting some new icons. Jesus and Mary are being replaced by Chairman Xi and Chairman Mao. Clergy members are required to preach communist party ideology. Isn't that special? The changes are suspected of coming from the federal government as there is no legal basis for them. They are being enforced at the local level to try to keep it quiet.

Xi and Mao replace Jesus and Mary in Chinese churches

 

In case any small-minded people would like to doubt the fact that China manufactures submarines in Wuhan, China, feel free to read the following:

Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Company - Wikipedia

China makes nuclear subs in Huludao, on the coast east of Beijing, and makes non-nuclear subs in Wuhan and Shanghai.

It is possible to make ocean-going vessels that far inland because the Yang-tze River is considered navigable to Yichang and the Three Gorges Dam (about 900 miles from Shanghai), and Wuhan is pretty far downstream of Yichang. Ships up to 10,000 tons can go west past the Dam and on to Chongqing. I have worked in the Nanjing area and can attest to the fact that massive ships could be seen going past Nanjing in both directions (and I could only see about 30 or so above the waterline from my hotel).

Yangtze River - Navigation, Shipping, Trade | Britannica

 

In case any scatter-brained people think that health care is better in China than the West, think again. Unless you are in a city of 4 million people or more, you probably do not want to take your chances with health care in China. Yes, health care in China is cheap (like, dirt-cheap), but the down side is that you get what you pay for. My experience nearly 20 years ago in a city of about 3 million is that hospitals were scary places with minimal technology that were poorly funded. The lighting in the hospital was dim, like they were using 10-25W bulbs. The clothing of the doctors and nurses was somewhat dingy. The large pharmacy across the street was 50% Chinese herbal medicines and tree roots, and 50% cosmetics. No western-type medicines. The doctors and nurses were very friendly and tried to be helpful, but had a hard time understanding what iso-propyl alcohol was and why a person might have a need for it. Some of the medical professionals had no apparent understanding of chemistry. A guy I worked with was choking on a fish bone, and the doctor there yanked on his tongue several times with mechanics pliers until the bone popped out. Charge: $1.25. No doubt, our inability to speak Chinese did not help the situation in either case, but this was not a modern hospital according to western standards compared to even small-town U.S. hospitals, but it was the largest and most modern in that city.

Chinese medical care might seem efficient to westerners, but that's because most Chinese people cannot afford any kind of advanced medical care compared to what westerners can afford, plus Chinese people know that bad reviews in western media would make them look bad, so they are generally attentive to westerners in general.

No doubt, health care in the mega-cities of China is presumably very good. I was not impressed with what I saw in the smaller cities, however.

I would say that Taiwan has a lot better medical care available in their cities, and does a better job of having both western and Chinese medical options available.

 

Well, that didn't last. China's stock market did not sustain positive momentum after the large cash infusion by the central government. The Chinese people have no faith in their collapsing economy. At this point, 5% growth seems more like a pipe dream than any kind of realistic plan. The CCP will probably need to cook the books.

China's stocks rally fizzles as stimulus offer disappoints

 

China is dumping more products on the market: this time, lithium. They appear to be looking to eliminate competition by driving them out of business with lower prices. China controls two thirds of the world's lithium supply.

China is oversupplying lithium to eliminate rivals, US official says

 

If anyone is ignorant enough to promote Neil Bush as a "senior US figure", involved in any significant way with U.S. foreign policy, that person should not be trusted. Neil Bush is a businessman--he's looking to make a buck. He can turn his family associations into connections that can help him make money in China. Don't expect a lot of talk about China stealing technology from the west, making claims on other country's territories, or building up their armed forces for war with their neighbors. He's going to pump his Chinese interviewers with sunshine of how wonderful things could be, as he tries to make money in China. He's a salesman. He's also referencing the opinions of his father, George Bush, Sr., while in office, which was before the economic improvement, technology theft and military buildup occurred.

Neil Bush - Wikipedia

 

China just wrapped up its "Golden Week Holiday" which tried to get shoppers excited about buying things made in China. Global investors were mildly excited by the holiday, but Chinese shoppers definitely were not. Domestic tourism was subdued, and service industries suffered. There were small increases in Chinese people leaving China for tourism, but not for trips within China. China may need to spend over $1 trillion to try to revive the economy. China's economy is showing signs of deflation, as prices on domestic goods drop.

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/10/business/china-golden-week-travel-spending-hnk-intl/index.html

 

Finance professionals in China are making about half of the income they made three short years ago, as the economy collapses. A lot of finance professionals are quitting their banking and finance jobs. People in finance are calling themselves "finance rats", in a non-complimentary way.

How China’s crackdown turned finance high-flyers into ‘rats’

 

Mexico commits to taking the U.S. side in trade disputes with China. This will help Mexico increase its own manufacturing capabilities and create jobs in Mexico. China may be screwed.

Mexico takes the US side in potential trade battles with China and seeks to boost local content