3 ms·

I'm afraid we are just beginning to learn how badly we have arrogantly underestimated China.

robotrout 9y ago
Thankfully, we are finally seeing how vulnerable we have left ourselves. Just like the best time to plant a tree. The best time to address strategic resource vulnerabilities is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. We've been too complacent for too long, but now this issue has now been pushed into the public conversation.
- crdoconnor 9y ago
  The resource vulnerabilities are nothing compared to US reliance on China's industrial ecosystem. At this point if the the US and China halted trade, China would lose soybeans and corn (easily replaceable) while half the US manufacturing supply chains would be severed leading to truly eye watering inflation. China will almost certainly threaten to use this leverage in the next 5 years to discipline the US. Which is weird, because this is basically how the US has behaved toward developing nations which didn't follow its dictates.
  - question_that 9y ago
    I've never understood why during my lifetime my government has allowed our economy to come to depend on a communist country which is now effectively a dictatorship.
    - StreamBright 9y ago
      Because your government represent corporate interests much more than it represents you. (See Princeton study for more)
    - mistermann 9y ago
      Me too.....I also don't understand why our club is such a tiny one, while other clubs worrying about comparatively minor risks (scary Russian Hackers!) are so popular.
  - fspeech 9y ago
    Unless China can discipline its other trade partners, it can not effectively block export to the US. This is why over the years there is only US export control against China, not the other way around.
adventured 9y ago
I believe we're all actually very deep into realizing the problem, across North America-Europe-Asia. The context now is what to do about China's economic protectionism and their refusal after two decades of false pledges to actually do what they said they would to gain admittance into the WTO. France for example is trying to get everyone to focus on banding up against China's dumping practices (the US should be working with the EU on this, Trump is half going about the trade war wrong of course). Germany & others are looking at rejecting the aggressive technology transfers / acquisitions that China is making or trying to make. India is into overdrive about China's military plans across the Indian Ocean and greater region. China's neighbors have been sweating for years about what's coming next out of them militarily, beyond their territory acquisitions in the South China Sea. The US has entirely frozen China's ability to buy US companies and is reciprocating on behavior by increasingly locking out several of China's big companies.
- RobertRoberts 9y ago
  Not to mention that China is buying land in seemingly every other country through loopholes in local laws and will eventually have the ability to disable economies all over the planet: https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2018/03/economist-explains-21 https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2018/03/e...
- galieos_ghost 9y ago
  Trump tariffed the EU and Canada because they allow China to buy companies in their countries to avoid direct tariffs from the US. It wouldn't have been necessary if our 'allies' valued our relationship more than making billions from the Chinese in exchange for stabbing us in the back.
pishpash 9y ago
I think this has little to do with China. People have arrogantly overestimated their own situation, thinking it is a God-given right to have absolute dominance and no peer competitors. Having competition is normal. Healthy, even. Having to work hard for the fruits of one's labor is normal. Sitting back printing dollars and pointing guns at various places when things don't go one's way is not normal.

Thankfully, we are finally seeing how vulnerable we have left ourselves. Just like the best time to plant a tree. The best time to address strategic resource vulnerabilities is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. We've been too complacent for too long, but now this issue has now been pushed into the public conversation.

crdoconnor 9y ago
The resource vulnerabilities are nothing compared to US reliance on China's industrial ecosystem. At this point if the the US and China halted trade, China would lose soybeans and corn (easily replaceable) while half the US manufacturing supply chains would be severed leading to truly eye watering inflation. China will almost certainly threaten to use this leverage in the next 5 years to discipline the US. Which is weird, because this is basically how the US has behaved toward developing nations which didn't follow its dictates.
- question_that 9y ago
  I've never understood why during my lifetime my government has allowed our economy to come to depend on a communist country which is now effectively a dictatorship.
  - StreamBright 9y ago
    Because your government represent corporate interests much more than it represents you. (See Princeton study for more)
  - mistermann 9y ago
    Me too.....I also don't understand why our club is such a tiny one, while other clubs worrying about comparatively minor risks (scary Russian Hackers!) are so popular.
- fspeech 9y ago
  Unless China can discipline its other trade partners, it can not effectively block export to the US. This is why over the years there is only US export control against China, not the other way around.

adventured 9y ago

I believe we're all actually very deep into realizing the problem, across North America-Europe-Asia. The context now is what to do about China's economic protectionism and their refusal after two decades of false pledges to actually do what they said they would to gain admittance into the WTO. France for example is trying to get everyone to focus on banding up against China's dumping practices (the US should be working with the EU on this, Trump is half going about the trade war wrong of course). Germany & others are looking at rejecting the aggressive technology transfers / acquisitions that China is making or trying to make. India is into overdrive about China's military plans across the Indian Ocean and greater region. China's neighbors have been sweating for years about what's coming next out of them militarily, beyond their territory acquisitions in the South China Sea. The US has entirely frozen China's ability to buy US companies and is reciprocating on behavior by increasingly locking out several of China's big companies.

RobertRoberts 9y ago
Not to mention that China is buying land in seemingly every other country through loopholes in local laws and will eventually have the ability to disable economies all over the planet: https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2018/03/economist-explains-21 https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2018/03/e...
galieos_ghost 9y ago
Trump tariffed the EU and Canada because they allow China to buy companies in their countries to avoid direct tariffs from the US. It wouldn't have been necessary if our 'allies' valued our relationship more than making billions from the Chinese in exchange for stabbing us in the back.

pishpash 9y ago

I think this has little to do with China. People have arrogantly overestimated their own situation, thinking it is a God-given right to have absolute dominance and no peer competitors. Having competition is normal. Healthy, even. Having to work hard for the fruits of one's labor is normal. Sitting back printing dollars and pointing guns at various places when things don't go one's way is not normal.