China Now World's Second-Largest Economy

Some interesting news from the economic and geopolitical side of things. The People's Republic of China has surpassed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy.

Experts say unseating Japan — and in recent years passing Germany, France and Great Britain — underscores China’s growing clout and bolsters forecasts that China will pass the United States as the world’s biggest economy as early as 2030. America’s gross domestic product was about $14 trillion in 2009.

“This has enormous significance,” said Nicholas R. Lardy, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “It reconfirms what’s been happening for the better part of a decade: China has been eclipsing Japan economically. For everyone in China’s region, they’re now the biggest trading partner rather than the U.S. or Japan.”

 Pretty interesting, especially considering China's growing between 5-15% per year while we may go back to negative growth...


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Obama: China a 'Shining Democracy'

Wei Pin Yui
CCTV, Nanjing

US Premier Barack H. Obama told a press conference in Beijing that the Chinese republic was a "shining Asian democracy" and that the leadership of the nation should be proud of themselves.

Obama, who does not speak Mandarin stated in a press conference that, "Mr. Jintao should, uh, be proud of China's record of human rights and, uh, fair trade." Mr. Obama did not realize that in China, surnames are placed first.

Obama later stated that China was a "beautiful country" untouched by war in the last hundred years. Obama later lauded the Chinese People's Republic on its cooperation on North Korea and Burma.

"I, uh, am very proud to be here in a society where, uh, such great things as the Great Wall and the great General Tso were created." Obama told Premier Hu. "You people should be very proud."

Obama was told by Chinese officials that it was customary to bow to every member of the Chinese Cabinet. Premier Obama swiftly did this, adding in a conciliatory "sorry" with every bow.

China is very proud to receive the visit of the leader of a second-rate nation such as the American United States of United American States. Premier Hu gave Premier Obama a fruit basket and a tire for his visit.

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Outrage: Obama Refuses to Meet Dalai Lama

President Barack Obama has broken with presidential precedent and has refused to meet with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the chief of the Buddhist faith and is also the acting head of state for Tibet, which China invaded in 1950.

The Dalai Lama is well-seen in many parts of American life and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Obama is the first President not to meet with the religious leader since 1991.

Obama perhaps believes that this move will placate China. Considering the relatively small power of the Lama, this sends the signal that Obama is willing to throw overboard leaders who are friendly to the US to appease hostile states.

This would be similar to President Reagan refusing to meet with Pope John Paul II during the height of the Cold War in order to make the Soviet Union happy. This would be absurd then and is terrible now.

Obama wants help in Iran, but this is not the move that will do it. Instead, it will isolate democratic Taiwan and political dissidents in China. It shames the memory of the Tienanmen Square protests and their horrific deaths.

GOP Congressman Frank Wolf stated: "It's against the law to even have a picture of the Dalai Lama. I can almost hear the words of the Chinese guards saying to them that nobody cares about you in the United States."

Obama should profusely apologize for this incredibly stupid and pro-dictator stance.

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Thoughts on Walmart

Just out of curiosity... Walmart is one of those places almost everyone shops, correct? Some might have only gone there once but figured it was crap. Approximately 180 million people shop everyday at this large corporation. Yes, a day.

It's funny to say people like to go out and shop instead of voting for president or watching anything political. Could it be possible to have voting at Walmart so that people would actually think, 'well since I'm here to shop, I might as well vote too?'

I'm not sure about everyone else, but in reality Walmart is such a large part of peoples lives that it accumulates over 400 billion dollars a year... more than many countries. It would be funny if Walmart decided it wanted to make its own country. How many people would want to live there? A corporation with such power and it just sits and waits for people to pray on low prices; but too bad half the things in Walmart are elsewhere like China.

These are just some thoughts that crossed my mind. So think about it... Vote for Walmart!!!


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China to Sterilize Couples With More Than One Child

Art Dozier
CNR
June 08, 2009

BEIJING- In what US officials are calling a "startling and frightening prospect," Hu Jintao announced Monday a radical solution to China's growing population problems: sterilization.

Speaking through a translator, Hu Jintao, the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, detailed his reasoning behind his government's plans: "Overpopulation in our great nation has become a problem that the government must take care of. Unfortunately, the size of China has forced us to be inventive with slowing down our birthrates.

"Too many people affect the great People's Republic in several ways. It causes the potential for health crises of massive scales, limits supplies of medicine and food, and most of all, taxes everyone, who pay for every family's first born child's living.

"The government has already tried to limit the birth of a second child by imposing monetary penalties of families on those who have them. This is not enough, however, as our nation continues to expand as years progress. We must take action.

"In our great nation today are over seven-hundred thousand schools because every child must have basic knowledge of language and government. Yet with the growing number of children, the strain grows on each of us. Therefore, families cannot be allowed to have more than one child, they should not even be able to.

"People who break the law must be disciplined, as in any sort of crime. Penalties, as well, are just and appropriate to the crime that is committed. We have simply come to realize that people who do not follow the government's wishes are simply not being disciplined correctly."

The Paramount then stated that he has consulted advisers that tell him that the only way to "adequately chastise" people who have more than one child is to "prevent them from having children again, regardless of whether or not the government is watching."

Paramount Hu Jintao went on to say that plans to put this plan into action by the end of next year, which is when the government of China plans to complete a new census. Chinese officials say will help map out a plan to identify people who is living in their country and who is breaking the law.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reportedly planning on traveling to China to discuss the situation with government officials. At the time, however, the US government has not released a statement on the matter.


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Obama to Sell B-2 Bomber Blueprints to China to Pay Off Debt

B-2 Plans for Sale?
Richard Hogarty
Boston Reviewer
June 1, 2009


Record deficits and a crashing economy appear to be taking a toll on the young Barack Obama Administration. The Administration has been talking about hiking income taxes and perhaps instituting a VAT tax.

China is also concerned with the mounting deficits in the United States budget. China is the single biggest holder of US Treasury Bonds and is one of Washington's biggest trading partners. The People's Republic has had a burgeoning economy, but is increasingly wary of the falling US dollar.

While the exact amount of Chinese ownership of US treasuries is unknown, it is estimated to add up to over a trillion dollars. If China were to call in US guarantees on these bonds, economists fear it could lead to an economic collapse larger than the Great Depression.

China has recently expanded its defense budget, ostensibly to keep up with its economic growth. China is reportedly working on its own version of a stealth bomber (the US has the only functioning model) but is lagged by technological defects.

On April 1st, President Obama spoke to Chinese Premier Hu Jintao during the G20 Summit. During this meeting, Mr. Hu expressed interest in writing off some of the US debt in exchange for military technology. The President has since referred the matter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

The Defense Department is reportedly furious with the President's proposal to sell blueprints of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to the People's Republic. Gates has flatly rejected the President's plan, but has since been asked to step down if he will not facilitate the process.

According to the deal, the United States would sell the plans for the B-2, along with radar-absorbing paints and metals in exchange for $50 billion in debt relief. The B-2 cost the US government $23 billion to develop the bomber in the 1980s.

According to the Administration, this proposal will help the United States resolve its debt issues. They point out their belief that the B-2 bomber is "strategically obsolete", according to a source in the White House Press Office. In addition, the source claims that the Chinese would be unable to create their own functioning stealth bomber fleet for "at least eight years."

American allies Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are very wary of the proposal. Koo Syi, a geopolitical analyst from South Korea, points out that this technology could be passed to China's allies. This was the case when Chinese nuclear technology was transferred to Pakistan and North Korea. According to Koo, Obama has rendered US allies' opinions as "irrelevant."

While this proposal is controversial, it is not being presented to Congress, where it could meet with stern opposition. Instead, the State Department has been informed to assist the Defense Department with the transfer of materials.

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Interview: Tetsuo Kotani

Jumping in Pools is happy to continue our eighth iteration of our interview series. This interview is with Mr. Tetsuo Kotani, a Ph.D. candidate at Doshisha University in Kyoto and research fellow at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Kotani has recently written an article in the Japan Times.

1. China has recently been increasing its military budget. Do you feel that
the increase in spending could outstrip economic growth and cause the PRC to
reverse course?

Yes and no. I think China will continue to spend more in defense, even
if that outstrip its economic growth, since strong military is a
symbol of the Communist Party. China needs to keep its 8% economic
growth to create enough jobs domestically; otherwise the Communist
Party has to take care of more social unrest. If China fails to keep
the 8% economic growth and if China fails to reduce defense budget, it
is very likely that the PLA will be used to suppress social unrest.

2. Which branch of the Chinese military could be most destabilizing in East
Asian geopolitics?

The PLA Navy could. The stability of East Asia depends on the balance
between continental power of China and Russia and sea power of the
United States and Japan. China's maritime ambition is destabilizing
this balance.

3. If the United States decided to stop giving direct aid to Taiwan and
canceled the alliance, how could the ROC defend against the PRC threat?

I don't think the US Congress will abandon Taiwan unless Taiwan
unilaterally declares independence. Even if Taiwan's unilateral
behavior brings a military conflict, the United States still needs to
intervene in the end to keep the credibility of its commitment to the
region. In any event, if the U.S. withdraws its defense commitment to
Taiwan, Taiwan has little means to defend itself against the PRC
military threat.

4. Where do you see the next major East Asian conflagration happening?

In North Korea. A sudden collapse of Kim Jong-il could lead to a major
conflagration, possibly a North Korean civil war and international
intervention.

5. How likely is it for Japan to develop nuclear weapons in the next twenty years?

Almost zero. Japan sees no strategic, military, political benefit in
developing its own nuclear weapons as long as the US provides credible
extended deterrence.

6. Is the Obama Administration using the appropriate tools to deal with North Korea?

Too early to know. Special Envoy Bosworth and others are now on the
road, searching both bilateral and multilateral talks with North
Korea. I think it has become clear that the international community
has little leverage on North Korean nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea is behaving like a baby but sensitive about their
interests. Adult supervision is necessary for us. Benign neglect would
just result in more North Korean nukes, larger missiles and their
proliferation in the black market. I think the Obama administration
needs to engage with North Korea, giving rewards for good behaviors
and punishments for bad behaviors.

Cross posted at World Threats.

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India Preparing Manned Space Mission

India, in many ways, symbolizes the future of the entire world. Like the United States, it is a populous, diverse democracy, taking on the responsibilities of an emerging superpower. Similarly, the Subcontinent has decided that it will begin to lead in the space race, and will send a man into space.

India's second unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, is already scheduled to be launched in 2011.

ISRO has also been lobbying for years to secure government funding for its plans to send an astronaut into space by 2014 - eleven years after China - and to the Moon by 2020, four years ahead of China's target date.

Good for India. Hopefully they are able to make it and land a man on the Moon before China. And hopefully we can get our space program back on track!

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Hillary Asks China to Buy Our Debt

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an official state visit to China, and while there she made sure to ask the Red Chinese to continue buying our debt.

"By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together," Clinton said at the US embassy here.

Truly, she said it all. Now we're officially tying the future of our economy to the world's biggest autocracy. We're also making sure that they know it, too.

Clinton had sought to focus on economic and environmental issues in Beijing, saying Washington's concerns about the human rights situation in China should not be a distraction from those vital matters.

So after eight years of President Bush stating flatly that human rights are forefront in our policy, in one stroke it's reversed. Hillary (and by extension Obama) would rather have us fat and happy than Chinese peasants not get jailed for speaking their mind. The American Left is the first to state that they want to fight for human rights, but they are usually the last to do so.

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China's Economy In Trouble

The Chinese economy has been growing massively in the last decade. It's been growing at about 10% a year and was looking to explode into 1st World status. But the global slowdown is even affecting the Chinese.

Unemployment is now estimated to be at its highest levels since the Communist Party took over in 1949. Job creation and preservation has become a top priority of China's leaders, who are acutely aware of the role a deteriorating economy played in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

Economists say that if the growth of China's gross domestic product dips below 8 percent -- a healthy rate in most countries -- it would be a disaster here. The reason is that the demand for jobs would far outpace China's ability to create them.

While the dollar was weak, American factories were able to produce more, as they were able to sell it to other countries with strong currencies. If the Chinese economy continues to be weak, then American industry could take the initiative and gain back a lot of prestige lost over the last 30 years.