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China - and the dangerous drift to war in Asia

China is not a communist state in anything other than name. It is an autarchical centralised state that engages in a form of controlled mercantilist capitalism with the rest of the world.
This ain't what's in the communist manifesto, So let's not call it communism.

Yeah whatever, You can sugar coat it all you like.

Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era consists of a 14-point basic policy, as follows:[55][56]

  1. Ensuring Communist Party of China leadership over all forms of work in China.
  2. The Communist Party of China should take a people-centric approach for the public interest.
  3. The continuation of "comprehensive deepening of reforms".
  4. Adopting new development ideas based on science and for "innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development".
  5. Following "socialism with Chinese characteristics" with "people as the masters of the country".
  6. Governing China with the rule of law.
  7. "Practise socialist core values", including Marxism, communism and "socialism with Chinese characteristics".
  8. "Improving people's livelihood and well-being is the primary goal of development".
  9. Coexist well with nature with "energy conservation and environmental protection" policies and "contribute to global ecological safety".
  10. Strengthen national security.
  11. The Communist Party of China should have "absolute leadership over" China's People's Liberation Army.
  12. Promoting the one country, two systems system for Hong Kong and Macau with a future of "complete national reunification"; and to follow the One-China policy and 1992 Consensus for Taiwan.
  13. Establish a common destiny between Chinese people and other people around the world with a "peaceful international environment".
  14. Improve party discipline in the Communist Party of China.

Ideology of the Communist Party of China - Wikipedia

The theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics (Chinese: 中国特色社会主义; pinyin: Zhōngguó tèsè shèhuìzhǔyì, literally zhōngguó tèsè, meaning "Chinese characteristics"; and shèhuì zhǔyì meaning "socialism")[1] is a broad term for political theories and policies that are seen by their proponents as representing Marxism–Leninism adapted to Chinese circumstances and specific time periods. For instance, in this view Xi Jinping Thought is considered to represent Marxist–Leninist policies suited for China's present condition while Deng Xiaoping Theory was considered relevant for the period when it was formulated.[2]
The term entered common usage during the era of Deng Xiaoping and was largely associated with Deng's overall program of adopting elements of market economics as a means to foster growth using foreign investment and to increase productivity (especially in the countryside where 80% of China's population lived) while the Communist Party of China retained both its formal commitment to achieve communism and its monopoly on political power.[3] In the party's official narrative, socialism with Chinese characteristics is Marxism–Leninism adapted to Chinese conditions and a product of scientific socialism. The theory stipulated that China was in the primary stage of socialism due to its relatively low level of material wealth and needed to engage in economic growth before it pursued a more egalitarian form of socialism, which in turn would lead to a communist society described in Marxist orthodoxy.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics - Wikipedia
 
It's not even that. It's a Socialist Republic in name, governed by a Communist Party.
There's no arguing with this.

A form of statecraft which traditionally has served China very well. The nations which followed in its train, too.
Again, no argument here. I totally agree. This method of government has been remarkably successful for China over the 'longue durée', but began to break down quite rapidly upon contact with the west from 18th century onwards.

How about Socialism with Chinese Characteristics instead?
I have a problem calling this socialism. It's a particularly Chinese approach to governance, and I'm someone who believes firmly in calling a pan a 鉄鍋.

Nice to see you back, by the way. How's the land of the rising sun these days?
Thank you, it's nice to be back. Real life intervened with a vengeance in 2018, but things are back on a more-or-less even keel and plan to be a little more active again. We do live in interesting times after all.
We're still hanging ourselves out to dry... Jgov has spent (v. rough estimate) 5 trillion USD over the last 50 years on infrastructure improvements for Tokyo (flood, earthquake, fire essentially), and yet last month we were a foot or so away from catastrophe either side of the Tama river levees designed to withstand what had been considered to be a once in one thousand year level event. Interesting times.
 
Yeah whatever, You can sugar coat it all you like.
If describing a regime as "an autarchical centralised state that engages in a form of controlled mercantilist capitalism with the rest of the world" is 'sugar coating' then guilty as charged m'lud.
BTW, I'm more interested in trying to describe the Chinese government for what it is than what the PRC PR department describes it as.
 
This method of government has been remarkably successful for China over the 'longue durée', but began to break down quite rapidly upon contact with the west from 18th century onwards.
I'd take issue only with the description of historic China as 'autarchic'. It's been a trading nation from before there was such a thing as an agreed-upon 'China' to talk of and for the vast majority of that time it's been the centre of extensive trading networks throughout Asia, Asia Minor and extending into Europe. The Silk Road was the most high-profile manifestation but things like the presence of silks and porcelain from Tashkent to Lisbon also testify.

I'd also go so far as to say that the 18th Century breakdown followed the usual pattern, that China's external problems only impacted China's well-being when they were combined with extensive internal problems that prevented the government structures from mobilising resources. In the case of the 18th and 19th centuries, these kicked off with the epic corruption of Qianlong's court, the massive expansion of population without the government infrastructure to cope, the well-intentioned but ultimately ruinous fiscal reforms and perennial rebellions draining the treasury set the stage for 'Enter stage left: divers carpetbaggers.'
I have a problem calling this socialism. It's a particularly Chinese approach to governance, and I'm someone who believes firmly in calling a pan a 鉄鍋.
In truth, I think that was just a sop Deng gave to the remaining Maoists for whom the colour of the cat was still important. Nowadays, cadres mostly argue that they're still pursuing Socialism according to the evolutionary approach of classical Marxism, rather than having achieved it through radical Leninism.
Jgov has spent (v. rough estimate) 5 trillion USD over the last 50 years on infrastructure improvements for Tokyo (flood, earthquake, fire essentially), and yet last month we were a foot or so away from catastrophe either side of the Tama river levees designed to withstand what had been considered to be a once in one thousand year level event. Interesting times.
Is that expenditure for the Greater Tokyo region or the city alone?

Hals und Beinbruch, in any case.
 
China sabre rattles in the Taiwan straight again,


I read about that carrier just a few days ago. A bit half-assed by all accounts, more likely to be used for HADR than warry stuff. Plus, the Reagan is in Jap at the moment.

I know jack about ships, so am probably missing something, mind.
 
On a smaller scale, I recently saw a Chinese infantry Division moving by what we would call an A road. It took about an hour for them to pass by at about 35MPH , all were in trucks and in Company Groups. I saw them approaching led by dispatch riders. I have never seen such immaculate display of troops nor vehicles, and never such arrogance. We were two Europeans in the area of Shijiazhuang. We were near but just off a round -about standing by a car to watch the spectacle, We were told in no uncertain way to 'get away' out of it! by the dispatch riders, this was done with much shouting in Chinese and aggressive gesticulating with arm movements and whistles. This Military display; a Division with supporting arms; artillery, engineers, was very impressive, not a thing was out of place, in all my years in the army I have not seen the like. My mate with me an ex Green Jacket remarked: They can 'talk the Talk' but can they Walk the Walk'? It looked to me as if they could?
 
I read about that carrier just a few days ago. A bit half-assed by all accounts, more likely to be used for HADR than warry stuff. Plus, the Reagan is in Jap at the moment.

I know jack about ships, so am probably missing something, mind.

The USS Ronald Reagan is based at Yokosuka, near Tokyo. She has just returned from a cruise.
 
Now Chinese intelligence operatives are jumping ship. This, apparently, is the first time someone from their intelligence agencies has defected. Dead man walking ?

Could this be the start of another Cold War?


 
Both sensationalist and alarmist but, if you cut through that, indicative of pol/mil trends in China. Is the rest of the world in a position, individually and collectively, diplomatically, militarily and/or economically, to call China out, or are we looking at the realpolitick of the 21st C?

'China’s Chairman Xi Jinping has gone rogue. His agents have infiltrated the US and Australia. He’s unashamedly engineering his own people. His scientists are building clones and killer AI. What next?

'Things are not going how Mr Xi anticipated. He got his spectacular 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic parade through central Beijing. But his international standing is in free fall. He wants to prove he’s been making China great again. He wants to show he can reshape the world. He wants to push the US to the sidelines. And he won’t budge an inch on the multitude of crises afflicting his authoritarian rule.

“Our determination and resolve,” China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi declared, “are as firm as iron when it comes to defending our national interests and dignity on issues about Taiwan, maritime affairs, Xinjian, Tibet, Hong Kong as well as trade rifts. No one should expect China to swallow the bitter fruit that would damage our own interests.”


 
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(...) his international standing is in free fall. He wants to prove he’s been making China great again. He wants to show he can reshape the world. He wants to push the US to the sidelines. And he won’t budge an inch on the multitude of crises afflicting his authoritarian rule. (...)

But Mr Xi thinks he has it in hand. He’s casting aside all norms. International rules, regulations and restrictions are meaningless hurdles in his path. As a result, China appears on track to rapidly become the next rogue state.
So Xi is Trump-lite? MCGA (Make China Great Again)? I thought that was supposed to be a good thing, unless you were a "snowflake"?

Oh, and the spin the author puts on the gene edited baby story is at the hypersonic level. "The man behind China’s gene-edited baby outrage has vanished." Vanished? A reputable newspaper might have more accurately phrased that as "fired from his position in disgrace, tried in a court of law, and sentenced to three years in prison for conducting illegal research on humans". No doubt the author will excuse having left that bit out of his account by blaming the lizard people and the illuminati.
A year later, the man behind China’s gene-edited baby outrage has vanished.

Trained in the US, He Jiankui tinkered with genes associated with HIV-Aids resistance – and intelligence. Several modified babies have been born.

Perhaps the state-funded scientist’s worst offence was being caught. His story came to light as he sought to announce his breakthrough to an international gathering of his peers.

That hasn’t been the end of it.
 
So Xi is Trump-lite? MCGA (Make China Great Again)? I thought that was supposed to be a good thing, unless you were a "snowflake"?

Oh, and the spin the author puts on the gene edited baby story is at the hypersonic level. "The man behind China’s gene-edited baby outrage has vanished." Vanished? A reputable newspaper might have more accurately phrased that as "fired from his position in disgrace, tried in a court of law, and sentenced to three years in prison for conducting illegal research on humans". No doubt the author will excuse having left that bit out of his account by blaming the lizard people and the illuminati.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good 'journo conspiracy' theory!
 
Never let the facts get in the way of a good 'journo conspiracy' theory!
According to Mr Seidel, the facts are:

What’s all the point of such brutal new weaponry?

China is the world’s number-one guzzler of energy. And most of its oil and gas comes from the Middle East through narrow maritime chokepoints.

These can be closed off by a determined enemy.

Chairman Xi wants to control the Straits of Tiran on the Red Sea, the Malacca Strait of Singapore, the Karimata and Sunda Straits of Indonesia, the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

That’s if his expensive diplomatic and economic Belt-and-Road initiative proves inadequate.

He seems to be asserting that their development of weapons to rival their potential opponents' is a bet-hedging in the event their main strategy of developing neighbouring nations' infrastructure fails. The reason he ascribes for them doing this is to prevent their opponents choking their resource supplies off should things go pear-shaped.

And that's apparently 'going rogue'?
 
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