Miscellaneous News

Cyclist said:

It's my personal opinion and I don't really think cuisine is one of those soft power that can influence. My preference is video game, when people do not know the origin of the country, they play as long as it is a good game and then later on when they are already hooked, it can be revealed that it is from China.

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First of all, why is it better for "soft/flaccid/limp power" to find out that your game it from China rather than your food? At least the food holds a cultural aspect to it; a game, if the player can't tell where it's from just by playing it, it means it doesn't hold Chinese culture in it. The person finds out later that this game, which has nothing to do with China, was made by Chinese designers. So what? How does that further Chinese culture or "soft/flaccid/limp power?" How is that different from a person finding out his lamp/computer/bicycle was made in China? I can tell you right now, if I pick up a pen I've been using really well to find that it's Made in Japan, I wouldn't think, "Awww, maybe those guys aren't so bad; they made this great pen for me!" I'd think, "Shit... next time I'll check the labels more carefully."

Cyclist said:

I am not insider in both China or Korea government so I don't know what they are talking about. The fact that China's ambassador want to meet someone who is considered anti-China, it is already showing China prefer talking rather than force. By talking hopefully will lead to peaceful reunification with Taiwan province too.

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Yeah, you're still confused thinking that talking means "soft/flaccid/limp power" and only actual force counts as hard power. You think that if I go to someone's office, throw down a raw beef patty on their desk and say, "This is gonna be you if you don't play ball," I'm exercising soft power by talking rather than directly beating on him with a baseball bat. Your failure to understand the true difference will be the ultimate obstacle to your ability to conduct this conversation meaningfully.

Cyclist said:

I am not here for debating or changing many of members' opinions, just want to voice my opinion.

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Well, other people are here to debate and debunk your beliefs when we feel that they are wrong.

Cyclist said:

If it is agreeable then it's okay, if it is not then it's okay too. That's why I said we can agree to disagree.

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Like I said, you haven't made any good points but only shown time after time misunderstanding on your part, regarding what type of power an action actually falls under, what China has done/already happened in the PR drive, and most outstandingly, the importance and depth of the Sino-US conflict. You can keep saying to agree to disagree as if that's some magic stalemate with neither side presenting a better argument but the truth is that you don't understand the situation and you're stubborn on obvious falsehoods when other people educate you.

Crang said:

Is it true that at 6 foot 2, Djokovic is just considered average height in Serbia?

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Im not much familiar with imperial units, but Djokovic is pretty tall, above average but not much above, average height in Serbia is high, higher than many other countries (Montenegro, Ukraine are similar i guess)

manqiangrexue said:

First of all, why is it better for "soft/flaccid/limp power" to find out that your game it from China rather than your food? At least the food holds a cultural aspect to it; a game, if the player can't tell where it's from just by playing it, it means it doesn't hold Chinese culture in it. The person finds out later that this game, which has nothing to do with China, was made by Chinese designers. So what? How does that further Chinese culture or "soft/flaccid/limp power?" How is that different from a person finding out his lamp/computer/bicycle was made in China? I can tell you right now, if I pick up a pen I've been using really well to find that it's Made in Japan, I wouldn't think, "Awww, maybe those guys aren't so bad; they made this great pen for me!" I'd think, "Shit... next time I'll check the labels more carefully."

Yeah, you're still confused thinking that talking means "soft/flaccid/limp power" and only actual force counts as hard power. You think that if I go to someone's office, throw down a raw beef patty on their desk and say, "This is gonna be you if you don't play ball," I'm exercising soft power by talking rather than directly beating on him with a baseball bat. Your failure to understand the true difference will be the ultimate obstacle to your ability to conduct this conversation meaningfully.

Well, other people are here to debate and debunk your beliefs when we feel that they are wrong.

Like I said, you haven't made any good points but only shown time after time misunderstanding on your part, regarding what type of power an action actually falls under, what China has done/already happened in the PR drive, and most outstandingly, the importance and depth of the Sino-US conflict. You can keep saying to agree to disagree as if that's some magic stalemate with neither side presenting a better argument but the truth is that you don't understand the situation and you're stubborn on obvious falsehoods when other people educate you.

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That's where we have different experience. I was surprise to find out so many good games which was actually made in China. It changes people opinion, younger generation who does not have animosity toward China can be swayed.

That beef analogy looks more like a threat, lol. Why China's Ambassador even want to talk with him in the first place, we don't even know, maybe. We have different understanding of what considered as hard/soft power. I use wikipedia/google definition but some members here have different meanings, it's like saying my definition is the correct one and yours is not.

Then that will be never ending, that is where I consider agree to disagree:

AF-1 said:

Im not much familiar with imperial units, but Djokovic is pretty tall, above average but not much above, average height in Serbia is high, higher than many other countries (Montenegro, Ukraine are similar i guess)

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Djokovic would be of average height here in the Netherlands.

BlackWindMnt said:

Djokovic would be of average height here in the Netherlands.

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He'd be of below average height in South Sudan

The US ladies and gentlemen, reverting back to barter economy due to inflation.

Come to think of it, this is technically a primitive form of communism.

Well, that's the end of China believing the sweet lies from the US
So much about that summit stablising relations

The second so-called economic prosperity partnership dialogue between the US and the island of Taiwan scheduled on Monday has met criticism from Chinese officials and observers, who slammed it as an obvious violation of US President Joe Biden's recent pledges of not encouraging "Taiwan independence" and that it again sends the wrong signals to secessionist forces on the island.

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The meeting, a de facto official contact event rather than a non-government exchange between the US and the island, is an obvious betrayal of the one-China principle on Washington's part, and a clear betrayal of Biden's pledges

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I mean at this point I am not even angry about US lies and "betrayals". I am more concerned that China keeps believing or having hope that a proven liar will finally keep its word

Cyclist said:

China can grow peacefully all these years partly is also because of soft power. Deng Xiao Ping opened up China and visited many countries and built relationship with the world, even wore cowboy hat during US visit, IMHO, which to show that China is peaceful and can accept differences.

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I am also in soft power camp but this take is just downright bad. The "peaceful" growth had nothing to do with soft power - in fact, they probably had less soft power than they do today. The "peaceful" rise is mostly a combination of geopolitical factors - the US wanted to start a tariff war against China under Bush but then 9/11 happened and the US got stuck in the endless wars in the Middle East, then the 2008 crisis happened, which required the US to temporarily divert their attention to domestic issues. However, the shift already started happening under Obama's first term and accelerated in his second term.

Overbom said:

Well, that's the end of China believing the sweet lies from the US
So much about that summit stablising relations

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I mean at this point I am not even angry about US lies and "betrayals". I am more concerned that China keeps believing or having hope that a proven liar will finally keep its word

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Betrayal, lol. The US has its own comprehension of the one-China principle, different from what CN think this principe is.

xypher said:

I am also in soft power camp but this take is just downright bad. The "peaceful" growth had nothing to do with soft power - in fact, they probably had less soft power than they do today. The "peaceful" rise is mostly a combination of geopolitical factors - the US wanted to start a tariff war against China under Bush but then 9/11 happened and the US got stuck in the endless wars in the Middle East, then the 2008 crisis happened, which required the US to temporarily divert their attention to domestic issues. However, the shift already started happening under Obama's first term and accelerated in his second term.

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This is based on my understanding (using wikipedia/google) what considered as soft power, China use diplomacy (soft power) to convince foreign companies to invest in China and then later on with WTO members to let China in. Combined with hard work and intelligence of Chinese people, China successfully rise to its position today and hopefully it will keep rising.