NationStates Jolt Archive

Since i was a kid i've been hearing a lot the word chinese, my first thought was of asian people with their respective racial characters and different culture.

When i was at school boy we saw China's history, and i learned their past, and respect them for that, for all their scientific achievments, and cultural legacy.

Now that i'm a teenager, a student of highschool that wishes to study economics, i've learned a new definition for the word chinese: THREAT how is this?, isn't this supposed to be the century of globalization? the century in which all barriers fall down, leaving a clear path, so that humanity as a whole can reach its full potential? yes i used to think that way, i was glad to be living in this century in which there are no barriers, no "discrimination".

But when i investigated some economics i saw China's great leap, first to a regional power, now in a few years time they'll become a superpower. Let's face the facts: there is a very large number of chinese people living in Europe and America, another thing that's disturbing is their military budget, which has already created some worry in the US.

Plz read this article from Wikipedia:

China has figured in the Western imagination for more than two millennia in a variety of ways: positively, as an inventive, well-organized alternative civilization and negatively as a monolithic and repressive society.

In modern times, China has been an ambivalent immigration source for the west and obviously Sinophobic policies (such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, the policies of Richard Seddon, and the White Australia policy) and pronouncements on the "yellow peril" were in evidence as late as the mid-20th century in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This has largely subsided however, and Chinese immigrants are often considered to be a model minority. In Russia, and especially in Siberia and Russian Far East, the sinophobia has evolved in last decade due to large amount of illegal Chinese immigrants. The fear of takeover of sparcely populated Russian area in East by Chinese is also widespread.

Internationally, China's booming economy and tremendous growth in power has been the subject of much speculation and apprehension with many believing that China could soon be in a position to challenge America as the sole superpower.

Furthermore, there is unease worldwide with the world's most populous country being controlled by an unelected single-party leadership. Many observers around the world increased their dislike of Chinese political machinations after watching the suppression of protesters during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in Beijing and throughout much of urban China. Many Western observers worry about the lack of political and religious freedom available in modern China, and many find complicity in non-Chinese multi-national companies who choose business opportunities in the PRC at the expense of promoting a free exchange of information with the outside world.

Finally, as China increases its military and economic strength through modernization, many foreign observers cringe at what they perceive to be an increase in displays of "hyper-Chinese nationalism" in sports, diplomacy, space exploration and in the economic realm. Although this development mirrors other nation's actions during a similar period of modernization (like the Soviet Union, Japan, and the US, France and the UK), the fact that an authoritarian Chinese government appears to be encouraging its appearance as a way to offset criticism towards itself is disturbing to many throughout the world, and is itself a source of increased resentment towards the People's Republic of China.

More things are missing so i'll post them later.

Now that i'm a teenager, a student of highschool that wishes to study economics...
Do! It's great...I've been doing it for two years, and I can say only good things (I hope you're into Maths though)

...i've learned a new definition for the word chinese: THREAT how is this?, isn't this supposed to be the century of globalization?
China is not a threat to anyone, except people who hold on to outdated silly ideas - and those that aren't efficient enough.

...another thing that's disturbing is their military budget...
And which still would be nowhere near the levels of the US. And besides...who's telling us that next time some genocide happens in Africa, it won't be the Chinese who'll help the West to clear it up?
Why do people insist on seeing Chinese military spending as a bad thing?

Plz read this article from Wikipedia:
Just post the link, we'll find it from there.

I think the points about the economic impact are important.

However, in terms of military strength and build up, the hype and worry is unnecessary. Yes, the Chinese government is building up its armed forces, but why not? It's got the means and it is modernizing its military forces, which is a wise idea in this day with neighbouring threats like North Korea with its less than secretive nuclear stockpile and Russia and its less than modest WMD collection.

Yes, it seems like it's something we should worry about, but, it is necessary? Other countries are modernizing their nations in various ways. It's rather ironic that Iran is modernizing to supply its people with clean nuclear power and its being trailed by the Salem Witchhunt group headed by the US and the Chinese military buildup is not being noticed.

It is really a matter of priority.

If one thinks about it rationally, it comes out as such...

There are militaristically powerful nations like the UK and the US which seek to keep the most sinister of powers out of the hands of so-called 'rogue' nations and yet steadfastly guard their 'right' to the king's ransom in arsenal. And no one is worried about that?

Now, if we're going to be worried about any form of a threat from the Chinese, it would an economical one because they are able to sustain a workforce of epic proportions and they are in the midst of an economic boom, which is seeing large amounts of money being infused into their thrieving economy at very little cost because there is no shortage of labour and the Chinese people are willing to work.

With the desire work and take what they get, they become a pleasant alternative, in the eyes of the multi-national corperations because these people aren't 'spoiled' by ideas of so-called "worker's rights" that 'plague' western nations (by which I mean developed).

So, it becomes ideal to outsource.

Now, this puts jobs into the Chinese economy, which in turn puts money into the pockets of the people and if the people have money, they will spend, which ensures that other people have jobs. As long as people are spending money there are no finacial loses for any company and it is profittable to keep someone employed there, even if that person makes less than their western counterpart.

Now, this is bad for others because we are raised to think a certain way and have certain expectations.

This poses a threat to the 'west' because we are losing our jobs to people who will take less...

Of course, with the natural balance of things, the threat will only swell for so long before the bubble bursts and the dream ends in a downward into the slums of recession when the economic boom reaches it busting point.

It's likely not a question of is there a threat, but if there is, how long will it last before it does itself in? After all, the USSR imploded on itself.

With the desire work and take what they get, they become a pleasant alternative, in the eyes of the multi-national corperations because these people aren't 'spoiled' by ideas of so-called "worker's rights" that 'plague' western nations (by which I mean developed).
Keeping in mind that AFAIK there are certain laws in China, which allow workers to leave a job if they don't want it anymore. Better than in Cambodia for example.

Now, this puts jobs into the Chinese economy, which in turn puts money into the pockets of the people and if the people have money, they will spend, which ensures that other people have jobs. As long as people are spending money there are no finacial loses for any company and it is profittable to keep someone employed there, even if that person makes less than their western counterpart.
But prices will also be lower in China, I'd say. Ultimately, even poor people in China make their decisions the same way people do anywhere else. If it makes them money (ie if their real wages are high enough) they'll work, otherwise they won't.

I'm against sweatshop work as it is (and I don't think the Chinese will carry on like this indefinitely), but there is no real reason why their system would self-destroy. If anything, it'll improve and up-rate itself once the Chinese themselves want to be treated as their Western counterparts are.
Comparisons with the USSR are not in order.

I'm against sweatshop work as it is (and I don't think the Chinese will carry on like this indefinitely), but there is no real reason why their system would self-destroy. If anything, it'll improve and up-rate itself once the Chinese themselves want to be treated as their Western counterparts are.
Comparisons with the USSR are not in order.
Even if the people themselves don't cause the 'self-destruction', the natural route of inflation will cause some harm. If inflation gets too high, it will devalue the Yuan and when the companies find it unprofittable, regardless of how much progress has been made in terms of allowing rights and the workers in realising the dream, they will abandon ship. After all, the main reason for outsourcing is to reduce costs...

Even if the people themselves don't cause the 'self-destruction', the natural route of inflation will cause some harm. If inflation gets too high, it will devalue the Yuan and when the companies find it unprofittable, regardless of how much progress has been made in terms of allowing rights and the workers in realising the dream, they will abandon ship. After all, the main reason for outsourcing is to reduce costs...
The trick for the Chinese government is to manage to upgrade the people's skills and education, turn them into good consumers (or create a large consuming middle class) and keep slowly devaluing the Renminbi without causing any large shocks.
It's a very difficult task, but if they manage, it'll be a magnificent feat.