China...

[Galant]

...seems to be growing more and more on the world stage.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4208217.stm

Chester Soling is one who considers China to be the next reigning world power, he wrote a rather interesting article but the link seems to have died. I've asked him about it and hope to get it fixed and available soon. Until then, Does anyone have any thoughts on China, and maybe some predictions?

[Chunky]

well i have been told for a long tmie that it will be, im down with that,
as long as
it doesnt do as silly things as america has achieved, mabye it can turn over a new leaf and kill that human instinct of killing our own, also just generally clean up the world i hope of pollution etc

doubt any of this will happen, its what i hope tho
Chunky

[ACiD303]

Just an economic superpower at the moment. in the last 20 years, they've tripled their GDP. This could lead to burnout pretty soon tho (tho we are still talking in xx years, not like next week) as they have to increase the number of new jobs from about 10 million per year to 60 million a year over the course of say 15 years. But Im sure they wouldve thought of contingency (if required by the time arriving).

I think what people dont understand is how backhanded and sneaky the Chinese are.

Thanks to low labour costs, China is currently seen as the Workshop of the World, and it is playing that role like a professional. By stipulating that all foreign endeavours be joint ventures with domestic companies, they have secured a global technology transfer the likes of which has never been seen before. They now know how to make european and american cars, telephones, computers, pharmaceuticals, food, clothes, you name it. In the rush for low labour costs, literally thousands of foreign companies have transferred their manufacturing technology (and with it, millions in R&D) to their local counterparts, and then gotten utterly raped and forced out of the country. Toyota is the perfect example of how badly you can get screwed over there.

(a quick google for a newslink http://english.people.com.cn/200311/...4_128904.shtml . . . it's not the best but it's near the top of google for ref).

I mean really, the fact that it's a beijing court that has rejected the accusation, what the hell can toyota do? Again, this is just but a small example of whats going on.

Whats really interesting is in the past 26 years there has only been ONE foreign company to profit from landing in China. And it's not Microsoft, who were one of the first corporations to set down in China (28 years ago I think). It's Siemens.


Im defecting to China in the next 15 years . . . .thats after I learn Mandarin properly

[smtkr]

I predict China will be an economic superpower in 10 years and a democracy in 20.

[ACiD303]

and a democracy in 20.

And ur basis for this prediction would be . . . ?

[TiG]

you forget that you are looking at this with western values.

Whats to stop china closing its borders to the rest of the world in 10 years time?.

Time will tell i think in this one no matter what predictions we make

TiG

[smtkr]

And ur basis for this prediction would be . . . ?

There is no basis for my prediction. I just think that as people become more successful in China they will want more control over the operation of their government.

[ACiD303]

they will want more control over the operation of their government.

Right . . . so the events that unfolded say in 1989 in Tiananmen didnt say much then. It's not as if they didnt want it before I was even born.

[smtkr]

Right . . . so the events that unfolded say in 1989 in Tiananmen didnt say much then. It's not as if they didnt want it before I was even born.

I think I mentioned successful people, right? You're talking about a bunch of college students (not yet successful). Maybe it's just because I've grown up in the USA, but money almost always seems to bring the tides of political change. Protestors are ignored.

[Kumagoro]

I have heard talk about india becoming one of the stronger economic countries in the
future. The toyota thing isnt that uncommon either I have read many stories and seen
stuff on TV about that kind of thing going on. In fact worse people actually losing the
compaines they set up along with all the equipment.

Who can tell what will happen america and japan are still in really strong positions.
Japans GDP is twice the size of all other asian (could be just east asian) countries put
together.

[midzt]

Whats to stop china closing its borders to the rest of the world in 10 years time?.

I don't think it would really make any sense for CHina to close its borders. Being communist had held China back and now a more capitalist CHina is here they are more powerful. If China closed it borders it would cause massive infaltion all over the world but CHina would really be able to survive without foreign investment.

It would be nice if they declared themselves deomocratic but I think this is just hopeful thinking, theres not point for their government to do so, as long as they want to stay in power they will.

Well thats my view neway.

[Vimeous]

The massive acceleration of 'modernisation' in both China and India is being carried out without learning from the vast array of environmental mistakes made by 'modern' nations. It's also being driven by western corporations, greedy to get bigger or simply stay alive in the ever increasingly competitve world marketplace.

At the current rate of growth the pair of them combined with the cost of fixing western pollution issues will see us on the brink of extinction in 20 years.

The cold and harsh reality is that there are far more ways of humankind killing itself off in shorter and shorter time periods than there is of us all ceasing to burn fossil fuels.

We're toast?

[shiato storm]

well, if you look at their F1 race track, new last year, and read about their building the 2008 games sites you know that they get things right. of course sheer numbers makes up for a lot but they go all out to get a job done properly. I think they already are a superpower, they just choose not to exercise it in the way America does by dominating another country, they choose to excel in themselves - privately - if you will. they know full well that other countries are watching them and so all they do will ahve to be at high standards, and in recent times has...