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China is huge and heterogeneous - the coastal cities are well developed and there are 100s of millions of people living in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong-Kong, Shenzhe

by ido 8y ago

China is huge and heterogeneous - the coastal cities are well developed and there are 100s of millions of people living in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong-Kong, Shenzhen etc who are well on their way towards western level of development. For example the Yangtze River Delta has more than 100m people (more than any European country) and GPD(PPP) per capita similar to Italy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze_River_Delta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze_River_Delta

matthewrudy 8y ago
> Millions of people living in ... Hong Kong... who are well on their way towards western level of development Hong Kong is a developed country. It has a public housing system, a public healthcare system, and amazing transport. It has massive issues with income equality, and particular poverty in old age. However, it doesn't belong in a comparison beside cities in China.
- StreamBright 8y ago
  > public housing system, a public healthcare system These are the sign of a developed country?
  - matthewrudy 8y ago
    They're secondary points relating to quality of life and social security that distinguish Hong Kong from China.
    - StreamBright 8y ago
      Well in most Asian cultures taking care of your relatives and elderly is primarily done by the family. Offloading this duty to the state is not a sign of development but a sign of different culture. There are well regarded measures of human development, like the HDI. "The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the GNI (PPP) per capita is higher. It was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, with help from Gustav Ranis of Yale University and Lord Meghnad Desai of the London School of Economics, and was further used to measure a country's development by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)'s Human Development Report Office" According to Wikipedia China has a HDI of 0.752 which is considered high, 86th position on the list of countries. Hong Kong also has high HDI, 0.933, very high, 7th position. This comparison is much better than trying to come up with an arbitrary measure.
      - matthewrudy 8y ago
        My primary point was that Hong Kong is not directly comparable to cities in China. I also readily say "Hong Kong is not China". Although, as time goes on, the truth of that statement is eroded.
dis-sys 8y ago
> For example the Yangtze River Delta has more than 100m people (more than any European country) and GPD(PPP) per capita similar to Italy I won't make such comment by completely ignoring the wellbeings of other hundreds million people who live just a couple hours drive from the so called Yangtze River Delta. To name a few examples - Anhui province is so poor to the extent that it is offensive to ask people questions like "so you came from Anhui?" in Shanghai. http://www.sohu.com/a/212534231_578851 http://www.sohu.com/a/212534231_578851 Henan province has 100 million population on its own, it is nothing really different from the least developed part of Africa. http://www.sohu.com/a/196108368_100023515 http://www.sohu.com/a/196108368_100023515 Those are real people & real lives. How the other 100 million slightly better off Chinese living in Shanghai or Beijing doesn't change the absolute poverty suffered by those hundreds millions not living in tier-1 or tier-2 Chinese cities. Anything painting China as a rich/developed/modern/high tech country is nothing else but cheap propaganda. Let's make it crystal clear - China's GDP per capita is below the world average. The OP article further pointed out that such reported GDP figures might be inflated as well. When the GDP per capita is below world average, how it is not a poor country significantly under developed?? The only real risk China can possibly pose to the world/west is the fact that a collapsed China can trouble the whole world/west. When China is damn poor, it is thus much easier to develop and grow 6-7% each year. It is like cutting 1s is easy when it takes you 20-25s to run 100 meters, but it is close to impossible to do the same when you are already finishing 100 meters in 11s. China's GDP is growing 6-7% not because it is smart/modern/strong, it is the complete opposite, it is because China's GDP per capita is well below world's average!
- hungryhobo 8y ago
  which is exactly why trump's trade war is do ridiculous, china is still a developing country, let her enjoy her developing country benefits
  - refurb 8y ago
    Just because you’re trading with a developing country doesn’t mean you should agree to unfair trade practices.

by ido 8y ago

matthewrudy 8y ago

> Millions of people living in ... Hong Kong... who are well on their way towards western level of development Hong Kong is a developed country. It has a public housing system, a public healthcare system, and amazing transport. It has massive issues with income equality, and particular poverty in old age. However, it doesn't belong in a comparison beside cities in China.

StreamBright 8y ago
> public housing system, a public healthcare system These are the sign of a developed country?
- matthewrudy 8y ago
  They're secondary points relating to quality of life and social security that distinguish Hong Kong from China.
  - StreamBright 8y ago
    Well in most Asian cultures taking care of your relatives and elderly is primarily done by the family. Offloading this duty to the state is not a sign of development but a sign of different culture. There are well regarded measures of human development, like the HDI. "The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the GNI (PPP) per capita is higher. It was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, with help from Gustav Ranis of Yale University and Lord Meghnad Desai of the London School of Economics, and was further used to measure a country's development by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)'s Human Development Report Office" According to Wikipedia China has a HDI of 0.752 which is considered high, 86th position on the list of countries. Hong Kong also has high HDI, 0.933, very high, 7th position. This comparison is much better than trying to come up with an arbitrary measure.
    - matthewrudy 8y ago
      My primary point was that Hong Kong is not directly comparable to cities in China. I also readily say "Hong Kong is not China". Although, as time goes on, the truth of that statement is eroded.

dis-sys 8y ago

> For example the Yangtze River Delta has more than 100m people (more than any European country) and GPD(PPP) per capita similar to Italy I won't make such comment by completely ignoring the wellbeings of other hundreds million people who live just a couple hours drive from the so called Yangtze River Delta. To name a few examples - Anhui province is so poor to the extent that it is offensive to ask people questions like "so you came from Anhui?" in Shanghai. http://www.sohu.com/a/212534231_578851 http://www.sohu.com/a/212534231_578851 Henan province has 100 million population on its own, it is nothing really different from the least developed part of Africa. http://www.sohu.com/a/196108368_100023515 http://www.sohu.com/a/196108368_100023515 Those are real people & real lives. How the other 100 million slightly better off Chinese living in Shanghai or Beijing doesn't change the absolute poverty suffered by those hundreds millions not living in tier-1 or tier-2 Chinese cities. Anything painting China as a rich/developed/modern/high tech country is nothing else but cheap propaganda. Let's make it crystal clear - China's GDP per capita is below the world average. The OP article further pointed out that such reported GDP figures might be inflated as well. When the GDP per capita is below world average, how it is not a poor country significantly under developed?? The only real risk China can possibly pose to the world/west is the fact that a collapsed China can trouble the whole world/west. When China is damn poor, it is thus much easier to develop and grow 6-7% each year. It is like cutting 1s is easy when it takes you 20-25s to run 100 meters, but it is close to impossible to do the same when you are already finishing 100 meters in 11s. China's GDP is growing 6-7% not because it is smart/modern/strong, it is the complete opposite, it is because China's GDP per capita is well below world's average!

hungryhobo 8y ago
which is exactly why trump's trade war is do ridiculous, china is still a developing country, let her enjoy her developing country benefits
- refurb 8y ago
  Just because you’re trading with a developing country doesn’t mean you should agree to unfair trade practices.