Land rights dispute stalls development of Nvidia HQ in Taipei
@enroger This is exactly what I mean by a population and leadership that is fundamentally tired, conservative and unwilling to budge.
LMFAO, that's the equivalent of combing through Trump's sofa cushions and vacuuming his rug to get the last of his food crumbs. Do they really think Trump hasn't already exhausted everything in the pantry and fridge trying to budge China in the trade wars?
@enroger This is exactly what I mean by a population and leadership that is fundamentally tired, conservative and unwilling to budge.
They are trying the same 1980s tricks for a world that has long since moved on and the game has already fundamentally changed for years. The same tricks only work twice on those who are willfully blind.
China used it back in 2012, it's been 13 years.Export controls are one time use capability. Once you use it, other countries will develop alternatives, thus ending you leverage.
If China is using it, they know this is a temporary leverage and will go away within a few years. They need to get something tangible quickly while they still have the leverage.
this misplace assumption that only secular can excel in STEM they may be less in number but they can be extremely bright. You still need tech (surveillance, decision support systems) to win elections and maintain power. Putin has been dealing with them since his teacher and Putin is bright because of this interaction but Ukraine conflict was shock to him. now there is more effective layers of screening that include Belarus.Only half of the Israeli Jewish population is secular. Plus given the religious takeover of the government and continuous wars, I expect many secular Jews to have left Israel and the religious to become an even larger majority.
There's a reason why Netanyahu keeps winning elections.
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A new Chabad center has opened in Russia's Silicon Valley.
October 3, 2025, 3:12 PM
The Minsk-Makhachkala flight is proposed to be made year-round.
October 3, Minsk (BelTA) – The Minsk-Makhachkala route could become a year-round service, the press service of the Republican Union of Tourism Industry told BelTA following a meeting of the Union State tourism working group in Makhachkala, where measures to increase tourism between Belarus and Dagestan were discussed.
I have a different take.Everyone here knew that China held a nuclear-level card with RE minerals.
That China isn't a stupid Trump-led America should scare the hell out of the West, because if it now decided to play it, it means that China is orchestrating a huge plan now.
Not to fear monger, but if there is any common sense in the West, they should absolutely be terrified. Xi doesn't play games, he is playing to win. That he has decided to play an economic nuclear-level card, it means that he is gunning for the kill.
Now you are going to have a front-seat view to witness the difference in planning and execution ability between a competent and ruthless state and a state led be clowns and delusional think-tankers. History in the making
China might be finally ready to send the US either to the retirement home or to the graveyard

Yup. That's exactly my take too. The next 10 or 20 years are a critical point when the West would be most tempted to take the most extreme measures to reverse this situation. There is no better time to play the RE card than now. Let's not forget, even after the supply chain is reproduced, it will take time to rearm.I have a different take.
The Chinese leadership has to assume the West has the capability to build up their rare earth supply chain (not saying it will), thus the rare earth card has a shelf life. Playing this card means Chinese leadership considers there is considerable risk of the West starting a war against China in the next few years and want to discourage that for as long as possible, while China build up her arsenal and be ready when the time comes.