Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens • Hacker News Board

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#61

Post by pupdogg » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:28 AM UTC

gridlockd wrote: post #16

melling wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China is either the world’s 1st or 2nd largest economy, depending on how you measure it: https://www.thebalance.com/world-s-largest-economy-3306044 https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-worlds-largest-expor... I think people are slow to realize their new position in the world. When US and Europe shipped all that manufacturing to China, it created this problem.

> China is either the world’s 1st or 2nd largest economy, depending on how you measure it So what? Its exports account for only ~13%. According to the same data, Belgium is 2.4%. I've never even heard of anything "Made in Belgium".

Ummm....Barco for one https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barco_(manufacturer)

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#62

Post by vertex-four » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:30 AM UTC

guardiangod wrote: post #38

SubiculumCode wrote: post #4

Beijing is slow to realize that trying to strong-arm the West's views on Tibet, Hong Kong, etc will not work, and in fact, makes their international position weaker.

Beijing doesn't care. Beijing only cares about 1 thing- internal unity. What better way to promote this than to show the strength of modern China. China wants other countries to fear China's economic and military power, and to bow down to China's demand (or, at the very least, fearful of repercussions from China.) I suspect that China is perfectly content with not interacting with other countries ever, as long as oth…

I mean, that's a pretty common opinion of the US pretty much everywhere.

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#63

Post by mcguire » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:30 AM UTC

Gustomaximus wrote: post #42

I'm surprised that business is so keen on China. Obviously they are a massive market, but they are also so fickle and nationalistic. Its so easy for a non-Chinese business to make an innocent mistake or just different view and have the government or citizens actively boycott you. I'd be hesitant to put any business reliance or investment in China these days.

But Kickstarter lives off of Chinese factories.... :-)

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#64

Post by philipov » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:30 AM UTC

bcrosby95 wrote: post #58

philipov wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My interpretation: the difficulty that competitors have penetrating the market means the profits will be that much bigger for the company that finally "cracks the code." It's like dopamine-seeking behavior writ large; the more you're denied payoff, the greater the anticipation, the more desperately you want it.

A month ago people probably would have said the NBA cracked the code. But I would hope that recent events had made it clear: there is no such thing as "cracking the code". It's a perpetual dance and if you trip once you're out.

You might as well try explaining the same thing to someone with a gambling addiction. Corporations are no more rational than the individuals that comprise them. In some ways, less so.

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#65

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:31 AM UTC

throwaway66920 wrote: post #48

> China’s embassy reacted angrily, saying on Facebook that Prague’s leadership should change its attitude as soon as possible or “it will be their own interests that will be hurt.” That’s pretty pathetic. Honestly this sounds like a desperate Chinese government worker who is trying to save face

[deleted]

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#66

Post by mcguire » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:34 AM UTC

bitL wrote: post #28

SllX wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of China’s exports are low value manufactured goods which can be made elsewhere. There’s a lot more countries in the world than there are Chinas, even if your worldview counts both of them.

That used to be the case; now the new Silicon Valley for producing anything is in Shenzhen with crazy innovation (kinda like what Japan used to be in the 80s). You can set up your own goods production there in minutes and in all kinds of quality as your budget allows. A regular Chinese now matches a regular American in quality of life as measured by typical economical metrics (adjusted for purchase parity, not in nom…

I was with you until

"A regular Chinese now matches a regular American in quality of life as measured by typical economical metrics (adjusted for purchase parity, not in nominal value)."

A regular Chinese in Shenzhen, maybe. I'm not sure about someone from the part of China that isn't on the coast or Beijing.

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#67

Post by Linq123 » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:34 AM UTC

hjklhlkjh wrote: post #19

liuliu wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. It is just hard to rewrite nation borders once it is set and done for a country of China's size. Realistically, the West probably hope of USSR type of breakdown. To me, that is extremely unlikely given the desire of the Chinese people to remain as a united group.

Westerner here. I'd settle for allowing Muslims to build nice minarets on mosques in XJ without getting jailed, and for Hong Kongers to be able to choose who leads them (really choose: not from a list of candidates preselected by the Party) until 2047. The motivation? A belief that humans are entitled to at least a modicum of political self-determination.

You clearly from a country which never experienced neither local muslim's terror nor post colonial separatism.

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#68

Post by Rebelgecko » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:37 AM UTC

lousken wrote: post #51

Rebelgecko wrote: post #35

I was in Prague a week or so ago and was surprised by how much graffiti there was regarding the politics Hong Kong/Taiwan/One China/etc. About a 60/40 mix of English and Chinese. Given the massive number of Chinese tourists I suppose it's a decent way to reach an audience in the touristy areas

in which part of Prague have you been?

Praha 1 & Praha 6

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#69

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:37 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Beijing Takes Aim at Prague After ‘One-China’ Dispute Deepens

#70

Post by ta9413 » Thu, Oct 10, 2019, 1:43 AM UTC

User23 wrote: post #37

It helps to know about the resurgence in Tianxia[1] ideology in China. It's vaguely analogous to the old American concept of Manifest Destiny, but with, of course, a much longer history and far greater scope. What it basically comes down to is that in the pre-Westphalian era the Chinese world view was that China had sovereignty over everything under heaven. The Great Game dealt that world view a pretty harsh blow, bu…

Not so sure the modern Chinese generally still clings to that.. probably more 自强 than 天下 (Tianxia)

For the past 50 years the global cultural viewpoint is largely Western (used loosely here)... it would be not practical to think that will always be the case, or has been the case for much of human history.

Using an easy to digest example of "individual freedom and unbridled freedom of expression" vs "know your place and be humble in your speech and actions"...

...

The middle is very quiet... are they forced to be so? It's almost like two rival gangs fighting and a couple of old folks stepping in to try to restore peace. Both gangs will slaughter the old folks and then carry on fighting.