Miscellaneous News
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
This is why I’m willing to bet more than 90% of the so called “Gurus” in India are conmen, looking to take advantage of simpleminded and stupid people, especially the eat, pray, love, western woman.
in fact I do believe along with that NYT article, we are starting to see anglos start to come around to the acceptance stage
Heres to hoping Vivek becomes next Potus with Kamala as VP
Hahaha, even America won't last until 2045, not to mention Taiwan.
China's GDP per capita is just $12K now. You can argue how Shanghai is rich nowadays but its GDP per capita is still about $25K, poorer than GDP per capita in other western big cities like NYC $100K+ or Tokyo $60K+. Besides, when the Taiwanese or Hong Kongers think about China, they look at the overall picture of China as a backward country still full of factories doing manual labor for the rich western nations and brands. China is slowly getting there ofcourse but it is still western companies who produce all the brands that people in Hong Kong or Taiwan buy. Whether its Japanese or American Cars, American iphone or French perfume and handbags.
When a Hong Konger or Taiwanese looks at the world, they see a world where the western universities are the top ones, western brands are the top brands for all the goods they buy, western fashion is what they follow, western apps and software that they use. So, where is Chinese superiority in anything in their daily lives? Chinese superiority in terms manufacturing efficiency? Chinese Superiority in steel production? Nope, these do not make headlines or effect normal people.
Hong Kongers and Taiwanese look up to the west and consider themselves atleast semi-western. So, China cannot be the country they look up to while the overwhelming image of China remains poorly educated laborers working in factories for the western consumer.
Even a few years ago, People in Hong Kong and Taiwan had enough money to keep a mistress in the mainland while having a wife in their homes. They see themselves as leaders and managers of mainlanders who work under them.
Now imagine if these poor people become slightly rich to have money but still lacked "manners" as Taiwanese and Hongkongers thought. So, mainlanders are portrayed as lacking hygene, manners and education that "semi-western" hong kongers and Taiwanese have, even if they have a little bit of money So, mainland tourists became heavily villified and hated in both of these places and contributed to the anti-China sentiment.
Mainlanders are rich enough to be seen as a threat to the superiority of Hong Kongers and Taiwanese. But not rich and educated and advanced enough to be equal to their "masters" or "role models" in the west. This is also why suddenly China is so hated in Korea or Japan for example. Even 10 years ago, China was seen positively as a poor country that still looks up to Koreans. But now they are a threat to the superiority of the Koreans.
China will have to blow past this current level of wealth, educaTtion. They will have to be atleast as rich as Japan and Europe. They will have to develop brands that are global and all-pervasive. So, Chinese Cars, TVs, Laptops, Phones and Chinese fashion will have to be equal to the west in terms of popularity around the world. That will prove that Chinese are not inferior to the west, but equal to the west and thus can be a role model for Hong Kong and Taiwanese.
Last edited:
Sorry to say this, but you're a lost cause. First, you don't understand some basic economics. The nominal GDP and nominal GDP per capita, which you are showcasing, are not adequate measurements of relative wealth nor standards of living for countries like China, which is a massive, world-leading exporter and a civilization on its own, let me explain.
Nominal GDP measured in dollars is mainly used for smaller countries or net importers that need to import a bunch of stuff from abroad, that's why you calculate their GDP in international currencies like the dollar. However, China doesn't need to import anything from the outside world because they already have every possible kinds of goods and services imaginable inside of their borders and priced in yuan.
When you are comparing Chinese and Western GDPs, you must look at the GDP PPP, because China doesn't need to import anything for you to be measuring China's GDP in terms of any western currencies. Chinese citizens buy Chinese products at Chinese prices, in Chinese currency, made inside of China, and that's maybe the case for 90% of the products and services that they buy. And they can buy stuff ranging from a needle to a plane because China simply produces anything imaginable nowadays.
China can buy everything from the inside of their own borders, in the currency called yuan, at their own prices, and that's why you should be using GDP PPP for China, which is based on prices inside of China and in their own currency, as they don't need to import anything from the outside, they are 30% of the world manufacturing, they are the factory of the world. They have trillions of trade surplus with other countries.
Last edited:
GDP in PPP matters very little to the perception of people in terms who is wealthy and who is not. Your 100 yuan may buy the same clothing as the $100 dollar dress you buy in the US, but the quality differences will be pronounced. you may get a high end western branded dress with $100 but not with 100 yuan.
The fact is Japanese, Americans, Hong Kongers earn much more than the Chinese, their income is simply bigger when they buy western branded goods which is what they consider world's best. Their income will allow them to go alot more places for tourism. And Most westerners probably have bigger houses, probably more than one car and better quality of life in terms of stuff they own.
Moreover, the kind of Jobs that Hong Kongers or Westerners do are what is considered as superior white collar jobs. They work as lawyers, managers, scientists, designers while most Chinese are factory workers. So, it is no wonder they consider themselves to be richer and superior in every way.
Ofcourse, these things are changing slowly, China is getting better, but perception always lags behind actual situation. For China to be seen as equal to the west. They will have to be not only as equally rich in nominal terms, but also produce brands that are equal or superior to western brands.
you can't argue with perception because perception is an opinion. What good does the number to while So clearly that $100k, or whatever, doesn't actually matter. And it seems that you still are incapable of understanding that GDP per capita is not income.
And since its an opinion, opinions can be changed, whether by force or otherwise. Witness how they changed after the national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by force. Didn't need much of an income change there did it?
It doesn't? When your infrastructure is crumbling while Chinese infrastructure is world class, when Chinese people live longer, are less likely to die in childbirth like medieval times, have faster internet and didn't get 1 million of them taken out by a simple flu, what does the number actually mean?
Guess you dropped Taiwanese there after I showed you with proof that no, they don't actually earn much more. I also noticed you didn't say that Hong Kongers had better houses, owned cars, or had a better quality of life. Why not?
They do? Show me the data. Where do most of them work as lawyers, managers, scientists, designers?
Are you trolling dude? "American iPhone" that doesn't get made in America at all, the country that Apple avoids paying corporate taxes to?
Apple is a global corporation, and China has way more benefits from Apple than the US, including more wages, GDP boost, supply chain, etc.
America is I don't know how many times behind Chinese cars in terms of production, Regarding Japan, China is overtaking them too this year.
China outnumbers the U.S. for the first time in this ranking of the world’s ‘best’ universities
China already surpassed the West in terms of high-tech production. All those Western brands you see are made in China + Chinese own brands are rapidly catching up and getting market share all around the world.