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How China Fooled the World [video]

bbc.co.uk

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Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#71

Post by zhte415 »

chao- wrote: post #37
tokenadult wrote: post #30

How many of the people commenting here read the Chinese-language press? (I mean, publications in the Chinese language from either inside or outside the region where the Communist Party of China exercises prior restraint on publication.) The one thing I've learned from studying the language, history, and culture of China since 1975 is that almost everyone who doesn't know the language is full of crazy ideas about Chin…

Could you point out or give examples of some of these crazy ideas? For the sake of us who assume we know nothing, and wouldn't know how to tell a crazy idea from an unconventional-yet-reasonable one. No sarcasm intended and I'm sure an exhaustive list is a bit much to ask, but I would be interested to read even a few examples and/or explanations.

Best resource I know, neither pro nor foe, is the Sinocism newsletter, a daily email of Chinese and English sources, that distills analysis from sources with multitudes of viewpoints.

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#73

Post by seanmcdirmid »

contingencies wrote: post #70
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The last time I was in Kunming, the air wasn't exactly clean.

Sure, Kunming is the provincial capital so a worst case example. The rest of the province is pretty damn clean, and being semi-rural to outright wilderness much cleaner in most cases than western cities. Personally I'm on the next lake over... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Fuxian ... it's like Kunming 15 years ago. We still have horse-drawn carts, and you can go fishing, horseriding, or paragliding with ease. We…

What kind of tech work can you do in Lake Fuxian? Or are you doing remote? If remote, then ya, there are a lot of nice places in China to hang out in, though personally I would pick Bali or Thailand.

Kunming was ok 12 years ago. I'm getting old though.

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#74

Post by bwangsta »

yourapostasy wrote: post #9
gscott wrote: post #6

China owns part of many industries, Governments that start having issues start selling their stakes and come up with plenty of money. Like everyone I am fascinated with China building new cities where no one lives, but they are going to totally get away with it and come out the other side unharmed.

I saw an explanation somewhere for the ghost cities. The CCP realizes that construction labor there is currently very cheap, land is cheap (in terms of political capital to displace people --- wealthier citizens will make it more expensive to displace them), and materials are relatively cheap. As they develop further, all three cost inputs will only get more expensive. So the CCP is deliberately allowing the rapid de…

I have lived in Shanghai for the past 3 years but I also lived here from 2001-2002. Back then, there were buildings constructed that were totally empty and it seemed ridiculous to think anyone would live in those distant undeveloped areas. Fast forward a decade and now Shanghai has 20 metro lines instead of two, with each metro station under a sprouting mini-city, complete with its own H&M, Burger King and Starbucks. It seems like the urban planners placed tem all perfectly close to each other, like settlements in Civ. The condos that stood empty 12 years ago are now at full capacity and people are moving even further out into the exurbs where more empty buildings await them. The energy and buzz in Shanghai is just as palpable as it was 12 years ago and although there are some ghost cities and failed projects across greater China, the megalopolises will easily compensate for them. The United States has its share of empty, abandoned cities (Detroit, anyone?) but when you visit San Francisco or Manhattan, you would not know it.

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#75

Post by bwangsta »

I have lived in Shanghai for the past 3 years but I also lived here from 2001-2002. Back then, there were buildings constructed that were totally empty and it seemed ridiculous to think anyone would live in those distant undeveloped areas. Fast forward a decade and now Shanghai has 20 metro lines instead of two, with each metro station under a sprouting mini-city, complete with its own H&M, Burger King and Starbucks. It seems like the urban planners strategically placed them all perfectly close to each other, like settlements in Civ. The condos that stood empty 12 years ago are now at full capacity and people are moving even further out into the exurbs where more empty buildings await them. The energy and buzz in Shanghai is just as palpable as it was 12 years ago and although there are some ghost cities and failed projects across greater China, the megalopolises will easily compensate for them. The United States has its share of empty, abandoned cities (Detroit, anyone?) but when you visit San Francisco or Manhattan, you would not know it.

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#77

Post by epaladin »

AJ007 wrote: post #43
ekianjo wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the claim that infrastructure spending leads to economic prosperity/dominance sounds pretty extraordinary to me. Isn't it what the US has been claiming all the time? With the FDR New Deal theory ?

This is what Japan has been doing since their dominance in the 1980's fizzled out. In both the US/FDR case and Japan's, I believe the infrastructure spending was seen as a way to re-ignite growth while also creating something long lasting. There certainly is some truth to the long lasting piece. A country with poor infrastructure will have a very difficult time growing. What is controversial is building things either…

In Japan there was a good deal of abuse of funds in the name of infrastructure. Investing in creation of high speed rail lines: clearly beneficial. Concreteing nearly every riverbed in the country: ???.

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#78

Post by contingencies »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #73
contingencies wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, Kunming is the provincial capital so a worst case example. The rest of the province is pretty damn clean, and being semi-rural to outright wilderness much cleaner in most cases than western cities. Personally I'm on the next lake over... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Fuxian ... it's like Kunming 15 years ago. We still have horse-drawn carts, and you can go fishing, horseriding, or paragliding with ease. We…

What kind of tech work can you do in Lake Fuxian? Or are you doing remote? If remote, then ya, there are a lot of nice places in China to hang out in, though personally I would pick Bali or Thailand. Kunming was ok 12 years ago. I'm getting old though.

I work remotely for Silly-Valley and change bases frequently. This is just one of them. Bali is too crazy-drinking or hooneymooner for my meetup tastes, and Thailand while safe enough does still mean a new visa run for a lot of people, which is why keeping any potential meetup in China might be nice. I too was in Kunming from ~2001, however I am definitely not getting any older!

Re: How China Fooled the World [video]

#79

Post by seanmcdirmid »

contingencies wrote: post #78
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What kind of tech work can you do in Lake Fuxian? Or are you doing remote? If remote, then ya, there are a lot of nice places in China to hang out in, though personally I would pick Bali or Thailand. Kunming was ok 12 years ago. I'm getting old though.

I work remotely for Silly-Valley and change bases frequently. This is just one of them. Bali is too crazy-drinking or hooneymooner for my meetup tastes, and Thailand while safe enough does still mean a new visa run for a lot of people, which is why keeping any potential meetup in China might be nice. I too was in Kunming from ~2001, however I am definitely not getting any older!

China has been cracking down on visas lately also...I'm not sure I would pick China if I could go anywhere, it is more expensive than the alternatives, and I still feel like I'm crossing into the developed world when I fly to Thailand or even the Philippines. And still no Chai Tea Lattes at starbucks (though Indonesia doesn't have them either).

I'm dreaming about moving to India, but I like my current job too much, and my next move is probably back to the states to settle down.

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