Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#1

Post by mooreds » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 1:29 PM UTC

Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?
nytimes.com

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#2

Post by peteretep » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:03 PM UTC

> that its promoters say is poised to become the next Dubai

I think its promoters have some funny ideas about what Dubai is and why people go there

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#3

Post by pjc50 » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:15 PM UTC

The combination of free movement of goods and extremely restricted rights and movement of people is going to put a lot of tension on that project, I'm sure. Or maybe not; after all, it works for Dubai.

Then there's the technical problem of rail trans-shipment across different gauges. I wonder at what point it makes economic sense to rebuild several thousand miles of trans-Siberian railway.

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#4

Post by peteretep » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:18 PM UTC

pjc50 wrote: post #3

The combination of free movement of goods and extremely restricted rights and movement of people is going to put a lot of tension on that project, I'm sure. Or maybe not; after all, it works for Dubai. Then there's the technical problem of rail trans-shipment across different gauges. I wonder at what point it makes economic sense to rebuild several thousand miles of trans-Siberian railway.

> extremely restricted rights and movement of people [in] Dubai

While that's true of South and South-East Asian low-paid workers, I'm under the impression that neither of those is particularly true of Dubai in a more general case?

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#5

Post by mac01021 » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:19 PM UTC

peteretep wrote: post #2

> that its promoters say is poised to become the next Dubai I think its promoters have some funny ideas about what Dubai is and why people go there

Why _do_ people go there, and why don't you think Chinese developers can replicate that?

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#6

Post by melling » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:22 PM UTC

China appears to be ensuring that their economy continues to grow rapidly with the Belt and Road initiative. By some measures they have already passed the United States.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-10-18/who-ha...

At some point soon, shouldn't the ability to grow the economy 6-10% a year become impossible?

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#7

Post by peteretep » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:23 PM UTC

This became [Flagged][Dead] pretty quickly, although vouching for it seems to have fixed it again. How does that happen?

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#8

Post by dragonfly02 » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:26 PM UTC

melling wrote: post #6

China appears to be ensuring that their economy continues to grow rapidly with the Belt and Road initiative. By some measures they have already passed the United States. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-10-18/who-ha... At some point soon, shouldn't the ability to grow the economy 6-10% a year become impossible?

The real growth rate is never the same as the official published rate. It was said last year China only grew less than 2%.

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#9

Post by grzm » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 2:34 PM UTC

peteretep wrote: post #7

This became [Flagged][Dead] pretty quickly, although vouching for it seems to have fixed it again. How does that happen?

It happens like any other flagged submission: members flag it. And as you note, vouching restores it. 'minimaxir's put together a lengthier explanation here:

https://github.com/minimaxir/hacker-news-undocumented#flaggi...

Re: Can China Turn the Middle of Nowhere into the Center of the World Economy?

#10

Post by JumpCrisscross » Wed, Jan 30, 2019, 3:00 PM UTC

peteretep wrote: post #4

pjc50 wrote: post #3

The combination of free movement of goods and extremely restricted rights and movement of people is going to put a lot of tension on that project, I'm sure. Or maybe not; after all, it works for Dubai. Then there's the technical problem of rail trans-shipment across different gauges. I wonder at what point it makes economic sense to rebuild several thousand miles of trans-Siberian railway.

> extremely restricted rights and movement of people [in] Dubai While that's true of South and South-East Asian low-paid workers, I'm under the impression that neither of those is particularly true of Dubai in a more general case?

> neither of those is particularly true of Dubai in a more general case?

Correct. For investors and businesspeople, getting in and out of as well as around the Emirates is intentionally easy.