LawrenceChee
-
Posts
2,739 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Downloads
Posts posted by LawrenceChee
-
-
But how safe? Compared with the rest of Asean?
I would say at least safer than Indonesia or Philippines ....especially when you arrive late in the night
-
I'll invite you to travel with me at all times in the future, to bark the necessary orders and commands in Mandarin. Good to know ;-)
I hope you like first class
-
I am hardly surprised ...I have met many Thais in my years here and a financially savvy one ...there are a few but they are not the norm
Which is always puzzling when you see all the Thais upgrading to the best smartphones ...I am unsure what else they do on them besides Line, Photos and Instagram ...that's a lot of dole to spend on the above !
Blackberry is still king for me
but it's 1% of the world saying so now Hahahhah -
China will not start an attack and have learnt it well looking at the recent conflicts
Never looks good when a bigger boy pushes another in the yard irregardless of who's at fault ...so they have learnt
Btw they have also moved out more missiles and there are less pointing at Taiwan right now than 5 years ago ...just saying.
-
Have a look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and see the various sub committees there and see if you can figure out where she stands
If you can't ...you won't be the first
Unless it's Wang Yi saying something ...you can almost safely assume it's like your senators making rhetoric statements in congress
Frustrating but true when you represent 1.3 billion people
I just looked at the foreign ministry site and saw even Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said essentially the same thing that that lady said.( Resolve and Will of Chinese Government to Safeguard Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Interests Can Never Be Shaken by the Philippines Forcing International Arbitration 2014/03/31 )
The documentary said the real flashpoint will come when China and the Philippines eventually come head-to-head. At the moment all that the Philippines has to protect its claim is an old World War 2-vintage US tank-landing ship, which is a real rustbucket manned by about 15 Filipino sailors who are not even sent regular supplies. It's quite surreal
“ The Mutual Defense Treaty “ ´between the Philippines and USA is a far reaching , because it says both countries would support each other if either the Philippines or the United States were to be attacked by an external party.
I think within all that text you quoted ...you already know the answer right ?
Philippines is too weak to defend itself ...USA has no funds for a pacific war and Chinese don't want to spend a cent getting back what's theirs in historical records.
So within all of that ...it's politics and waiting and the Chinese are patient and rather good at waiting.
-
Have a look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and see the various sub committees there and see if you can figure out where she stands
If you can't ...you won't be the first
Unless it's Wang Yi saying something ...you can almost safely assume it's like your senators making rhetoric statements in congress
Frustrating but true when you represent 1.3 billion people
-
Well what can I say ....the CCP have learnt from western countries talking to the media is better than saying no comment and letting them make it up
Did you see who made that claim ? Have a look at his title and then go back to the CCP website and see where he is on the totem pole
Gives you a better perspective of things said
-
Wow the headlines this morning ....made me ponder ...really another dynasty president ?
Jeb Bush seeking a possible presidential bid according to BBC
OMG - God help us all ...another gun tottering president wannabe ! If he wins , the world is in for another free spin
-
Like it or not, US will always be the world leader.
US will always be the world leader - until the new more powerful Nation emerges.
As were the Ottermans, Tang Dynasty, Roman Empire, Japanese Empire, Rashidun Caliphate, and the largest in terms of area, the British Empire.
Who knows, maybe it won't be a Nation per se, but a different affiliation, maybe even a Religion or a Trading Bloc.
There is no benefit to being a world leader. It just costs too much dam money.
Probably the best reason within CCP why they are not keen at all ! It's a worthless title and not everyone agrees on who is the world leader at all so it's a pointless egotistical pursuit for some
It was a classic interesting twist and I am sure the State Dept were in fits when they saw Putin and Modi signing a deal ....just when one thinks you have the Russians behind the tails ...they do a roundabout and found a little cheese in the corner
I don't think isolation or the sanctions were smart as it is forcing Russia into an economic corner where they have only one reliable export if you cut off their oil sales and that is their weaponry technology and that is danger to many regional stability if we go into an arms race again
The CCP have internal issues to deal with internally that will keep them busy for a long while
-
I'm not an economist or journalist.
My postings never played the pitiful card as that's pathetic behavior.
I have tried in my postings to present a balanced view on China and how it wants to engage the world.
There are a few posters who inevitably bait me into a reaction based on racist remarks and if I have given the impression to be brazen , I would be the first to apologize as I believe a world that understands China can actually help it be a better nation for all. It has 1.3 billion people and growing and a successful China will also mean in many ways better collaboration with others on the world scenes.
Personally I am dead against corruption , pollution based on irresponsible manufacturing methods and wish in my lifetime I would have done my bit to help China be better ...it probably won't happen in my generation ..but I would wish for my future generation to be able to visit China and not wear a face mask in Beijing or Guangzhou.
English is my first language although I am effectively bilingual and fluent in a few southern dialects as well. Not being a stickler but I did spot a few errors in your spelling
-
I do understand there are some Chinese haters who really want to see the CCP fail
I don't think it's going to happen ...they are not perfect but they are learning fast from the mistakes and best practices the western governments made
Eg ...they do not use human rights as reasons for trade ...opening up markets for themselves with ease in Africa ...critics would say the Mugabe was an idiot but the west have not made Africa any better in their trade ties there with their conditions ...
They don't believe in fighting useless wars over feeble reasons and wasting money $$$ and have steadfastly refused to get drawn to middle eastern conflicts that are costly and not effective
They believe in the Scandinavian methods of engaging the communities and protecting the environment and already there are a few experiments in Qingdao...I am waiting to see the fruits of that in 2017
The CCP have made great strides and made some errors along the way ...they have not repeated them while the west keeps berating them for past incidents as some posters here like to do like a broken record
The CCP will not develop China at a pace dictated by the west or reform at a pace dictated by the west.
They are their own governance and if they fail well isn't that what the west would say it's time for a reform and change
For that to happen they need to fail first and they don't intend to do that.
Unlike some who are just keyboard haters here , I'm Chinese and proudly want China to succeed at the world stage and make a better living for the people there ...it won't be fair for all and won't be a win for all ..such a reality is not possible and anyone who thinks that must have read Marxist too much and China have developed a more reasonable and sub stainable model of communism or does te world really want another Putin and prefer him ?
it won't happen overnight and anyone that think a President can make a difference in 4 years while fighting bi partisan politics is also as disillusioned as past track records have supported nothing
Lawrence I am interested in your views on China's claim to the South China Sea and in particular a number of islands including the area which the Philippines is also claiming.
China has just this week firmly rejected any suggestion of international arbitration, although it did say it could be willing to enter talks with countries like the Philippines and Vietnam directly but it is totally against the idea of " internationalising " the negotiations.
No doubt you are aware of the huge artificial island that is being constructed by China and aerial views now clearly reveal there will be a massive runway. It's clear China means business regarding this issue.
I have read several articles which claim that this will all end in China and USA (on behalf of the Philippines) going to war over this matter. Do you concur?
While I am never the decision maker on this ...every discussion on this at the CCP local level in the south indicates a war is never on the table and certainly not with the USA
They will resolutely defend their claims based on their historical records and also know in the international playing field, it's political suicide to press their claims in any forcible manner and they won't
-
Their next destination is England as the Brits have same day visa application now and denying their own citizens passport renewal rights and have everything channeled to HK office
There is a major feature on the pub culture there in a major travel magazine in China right now and j can imagine all the Brits fretting tonight at 4 million Chinese coming in to take pictures of your pub and not drinking
Hahahah
-
1
-
-
I jus arrived in Bangkok and have no such problems
Before I get in I tell them "meter duey" ...if they say no I smile and walk back to the queue
Never had problems ...always have them the 100baht for the toll and didn't take the 25 baht back
Always paid 50 baht above the meter price as required for my ride to the Marriott which is normally in the 200 baht meter rand traffic permitting
So in all its 350 baht max.
-
I do understand there are some Chinese haters who really want to see the CCP fail
I don't think it's going to happen ...they are not perfect but they are learning fast from the mistakes and best practices the western governments made
Eg ...they do not use human rights as reasons for trade ...opening up markets for themselves with ease in Africa ...critics would say the Mugabe was an idiot but the west have not made Africa any better in their trade ties there with their conditions ...
They don't believe in fighting useless wars over feeble reasons and wasting money $$$ and have steadfastly refused to get drawn to middle eastern conflicts that are costly and not effective
They believe in the Scandinavian methods of engaging the communities and protecting the environment and already there are a few experiments in Qingdao...I am waiting to see the fruits of that in 2017
The CCP have made great strides and made some errors along the way ...they have not repeated them while the west keeps berating them for past incidents as some posters here like to do like a broken record
The CCP will not develop China at a pace dictated by the west or reform at a pace dictated by the west.
They are their own governance and if they fail well isn't that what the west would say it's time for a reform and change
For that to happen they need to fail first and they don't intend to do that.
Unlike some who are just keyboard haters here , I'm Chinese and proudly want China to succeed at the world stage and make a better living for the people there ...it won't be fair for all and won't be a win for all ..such a reality is not possible and anyone who thinks that must have read Marxist too much and China have developed a more reasonable and sub stainable model of communism or does te world really want another Putin and prefer him ?
it won't happen overnight and anyone that think a President can make a difference in 4 years while fighting bi partisan politics is also as disillusioned as past track records have supported nothing
-
<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>
Larry, I'm glad to hear that you have gold bars and not mainland Chinese real estate as your "backup", because the latter is in the early stages of a very large bubble bursting, and this will eventually uncover the shadow banking system in ChinaThe odds is USA will crash faster than China is more real
China has the correct leadership to firmly deal with the shadow loans etc and have the time and the reserves to correct this and the markets will adjust slowly to a slower China. I have been talking about this since last year because they realized they have to take firm action lest they follow USA into auto destruction of their own economy
USA on the other hand while still attempting to correct themselves doesn't have any firm leadership in place and a bi partisan government that is never going to work together ever unless there is camera kiss ass time
The only time they agree is to approve budgets to keep the government afloat as they cannot bring themselves to the realities of a Greece bailout or government revamp as the politics is difficult to steer through on whose agendas is more important
Either one crashing will bring devastating results to all the pensioners here on this forum depending on that social security check
I doubt there are many here depending on the CCP handout. I being ever Chinese have gold bars as my own backup
Over the next 10-20 years the Chinese government will have their hands full dealing with massive air and water pollution as well as internal strife Cambodia still paying 7% fixed deposit interest if you can stomach the risk ...I posted that info on the forum cambodia banking thread
Lots of great opportunity everywhere to park cash at mate ...USA is also another location with value priced properties
Diversity is the key ...good luck !
-
I assume some when they speak with authority of 5000 years of opinions are actually historians of some sorts and have an opportunity to speak with the leaders to gain insights
If not ...I guess these are just fancy hate driven comments that doesn't help the progress of China or the world in general and rhetorics
I can say with certainty that China is well aware of the challenges of its pollution ( a trade off of development and western dumping manufacturing methods that cannot be done back home)
They want to correct it , they want to fix it and it starts with slower growth
which is happening and I have posted this on the forum.
As for the shadows loans etc, it's a problems , it's real and it needs to be fixed ...the thing the Chinese government have in terms of an advantage is they know who the President is and he has no fear for the next 10 years of bi partisan fighting ...so basically President Xi has 8.5 years to set the ball rolling to fix this and set the foundations right and he has done so by executing phase 1 which is to eliminate corruption.
The west have talked a lot about corruption but looking at records have done nothing much to jail or severely punish these individuals
Within the CCP we also know who the next President is for the next 10 years after Xi steps down and we cannot announce it yet and again it means we have continuity and that's an advantage when you deal with a problem of this scale that the next person doesn't come in and try to dismantle everything in the name of self pride and vanity
Not everyone will agree but it works for China.
-
In all fairness ....I think what you are describing here can happen in any big city ....any country and not just ChinaWell since the discussion seems to be about PRC, perhaps understandable given we're in Asia, I have a new anecdote that's worthwhile.
Friend in China, from Wuhan, has worked hard his entire life to fulfill the dream of study abroad. He comes from a regular working class family but put in his all, speaks very good English and French, has curiosity and drive, and was accepted to study abroad in New Zealand and Canada. He chose NZ due to thoughts the visa would be easier. Certainly the sort of person an intelligent and enlightened government would help with all its resources.
Unfortunately China's government stipulates that any study abroad students have 100,000 RMB in the bank account - at the standard Chinese salary rate of 2,000 RMB per month, this represents over 4 years of labor. Despite his father's efforts to raise the necessary funds, he was unable to have an account with the necessary funds, which he found at just yesterday and was reportedly in tears, so his dream is squashed. I will still try to help him regardless.
Meanwhile with a quick visit to cities like Vancouver - or Googling a recent Youtube video by ViceNews on the cars of PRChinese in LA -
you can see the wealth of the CCP and their youngsters - though it's not just those jerks who are like this, Taiwan's KMT also sends its spoilt children overseas, much like their counterparts in Russia's elite. These new PRChinese immigrants are a different sort than the ones I grew up with, who were primarily children of talented Chinese who immigrated.
It's pretty clear that the governments of China and Russia have chosen to enrich themselves rather than take the steps necessary to enrich the people at large. The leaders can issue all the imperial dictates they like but it doesn't refute the basic points Paul Graham makes. Notably, the American president Mr. Obama recently issued a request to US corporations to report any losses due to hacking from the PRC - it seems that China's government is not content with milking the wealth off its own nerds and in fact is aggressively seeking to steal from the nerds of other countries.
I'd say they'd do better copying off of Korea and Japan, both of whom have done a good job of the reverse-engineering-and-improving-it-to-a-better-version-of-the-original strategy.
With 1.3 billion and having to be fair to be true to its communist roots ...it's not just about resources right as you cant help everyone
Plenty of bureaucracy worldwide that stifles a dream and not everyone realizes his dream
I am glad to hear you will try to help him out ...lots have benefited from the generosity of others and I hope it's pays forward for you.
-
The beauty of all towns there is once you step off the tourist streets the locals are very hospitable and very very much ini sharing their local places
I like chengdu for the pandas and the forests there ...lots there out of the tourist strip and busy cities ....
-
2
-
-
Comparing that to Russia ...I think most agree China has been progressing well and will continue to do better and better in its progression on all fronts including human rights
More about the Communist Government, lack of basis freedoms and how they have treated their own citizens for decades. I just don't trust them not to try to inflict their system on the rest of the world.I on my part hope countries will continue to prosper and understand the rotation of superpowers is normal ...funny how some are up in arms just because it is China's turn ..I guess that deep set racism or just dimwit behavior Asians cannot be that successful is still sticking inside
I am unsure why people are prone to just beat China up constantly over human rights and think that hackling mentality actually helps improves things
Every lesson made the Chinese an improved lot ....from earthquake rescues to their restraint with the recent HK protests ...China have shown maturity and will continue to learn from the Scandinavians government how to handle these better
They are most keen to see how the Norwegians have the lowest re-jailing records in the world in keeping jails as reformative rather than punitive like some Wild West jails
The Chinese CCP are learning fast ...for some remember how you use to mock the asian nerdy students on freshman day that they cannot speak English and look silly in their floral dresses ....
we all remember how silly we look later when they score all the As in classes and later bloom into a hot bod you really fantasize about but by then they are out of your league as they have learnt fast the silly courtship and what a real gentleman looks like
As for treating their own citizens rightly or wrongly ...I suppose it's peach perfect in some other countries ...there is no racism, no police state behavior and all is holly and Molly
and everyone has freedom Live in that dream ...it's a beautiful fantasy
-
- Popular Post
- Popular Post
Try hangzhou and also Lijiang ...chengdu is also a great choice ...all are relaxing cities and lots of opportunities there to meet some fantastic locals
If you like tea ...Lijiang and hangzhou are tea lovers paradise
-
3
-
I ask that TV members continue to try ....there are 900 million nice ones
Engage them and meet them at meetings , local debate clubs and other social events
You will meet some nice ones ...I have to say working with the govt some of the travelers make me cringe and there is a lot of room for improvement ...however once instructions are given ...they do listen
I was at Ta Phrom at Angkor last week and a bunch of Chinese were snapping pics without giving way
I shouted ..."排队” which is queue up in mandarin and told them 要有平静....which is keep the peace here
And immediately they lined up and kept quiet ....the other tourists started clapping and the Chinese joined in starting smiling and everyone was happy .... one small step at a time as most are blessed their hearts traveling for the first time
-
Interesting take ....well for the crash to happen ...the CCP predicts it will take about 15-40 years of mismanagement so they are grinding it to a stop now and reversing it and they have time
Some of the keyboard folks here seems sure it will only be limited to China and Australia ...and a few smaller countries
As the yuan denominated trade continues to increase in 40 years time, the Chinese have learnt the from Singapore the best defense is economic defense ...for those that keep predicting it will crash
I hope you have an alternative place besides that social security check keeping you alive and paying for your DTAC bills ...you will feel the pain for sure if it's crashes
I on my part hope countries will continue to prosper and understand the rotation of superpowers is normal ...funny how some are up in arms just because it is China's turn ..I guess that deep set racism or just dimwit behavior Asians cannot be that successful is still sticking inside
Sad very sad ....enjoying my Mcd brekkie now
go USA ! I love Mcd ! USA is top dog in marketing and happy meals ...no one comes close to that as yet ! -
Thank god for that ...I am unsure if I can resist punching one of those jet ski scumbags who cheat and lie all the time
-
It's a great stimulus for the CCP when they read things like this and understand this is the motivation to do better , be better and do more and talk lessI'll say it again: the country who protects their nerds, rules the world.
The idea is linked in here, an essay by LISP creator and angel investor Paul Graham:
http://paulgraham.com/wealth.html
He argues that Europe became a superpower, source of invention and science, etc., simply because its governance system allowed people who made money to keep it. Once you allow this, people have the incentive to generate wealth and value merely by creating it, rather than stealing it. More on this in that article, but he makes a crucial point as regards military power:
He points out that the inventor of the stealth fighter technology was Russian. The good Russians are very capable of generating wealth and value, but Russia did not have the computer industry necessary to implement the new technology, which Graham asserts is a simple result of the fact that nerds in Russia have their lunch money stolen by the reigning mobsters; there is no system in place by which their creatives are free to generate wealth and keep the proceeds of what they do. So naturally many/most of Russia's finest fled overseas, to the benefit of the countries they fled to.
Something similar I believe - and this is tentative - applies in the current-day PRC: one case that comes to mind (by word-of-mouth as I don't remember the specifics) is: the technology for QQ, a popular P2P network in China, was stolen by the nerds who invented it, by the better-connected TenCent company. People who are well-connected in China are the ones who keep the wealth/value generated by the nerds, so again there is not the foundation in place for a sustainable system.
As far as other groups who want to take greater control: well there's the Islamofascists, but their ideas are flawed because you can't move forward in the 21st century with 7th century idealogy (they wouldn't be able to create the cell phone technology necessary to explode their murderous bombs). Winston Churchill noted the same thing a century ago: the only reason Europe hasn't been overtaken by Islamists is due to its science and knowledge. Africa won't due to corruption problems, perhaps same with South America.
So if Graham is correct, the question is: which countries DO protect their nerds and let them keep their lunch money?
The long and the short of it is that free and open societies advance because they become dynamic. Old and restrictive ones stagnate or regress. This has been the central characteristc of the world over the past 300 years. This reality will remain so foreseeably.
Which is what some countries are really apt at doing ....talking ...talking ...talking
Real progression ...wonder why there continue to have street protests ...perhaps the man in the street disagree it's equal and just as yet
Over the next 10-20 years the Chinese government will have their hands full dealing with massive air and water pollution as well as internal strife 
suvarnabhumi airport - new taxi machines, new scam
in Suvarnabhumi Airport Forum
Posted
Probably means Singapore is safer for you mate ....Thailand sounds too adventurous ...