What's sad ... is countries that have little car manufacturing, but still place huge taxes on Chinese EV vehicles.

UK for one. Why would they not want their population to have cheap access to cheap EV's ? What manufacturing are they protecting ?

12 hours ago, Yagoda said:

i was impressed by shanghai i will say. out in the country side around it....well not so much.

nobody cared what i did either, but i found the atmosphere oppressive.

im sure if you stood with a sign saying mao blows donkey d you would have seen some action

You should try holding up a sign saying "Immigrants go home" in London!

Just follow the money and the markets are usually the best predictor of the future. Far from perfect but better than internet chatter coming from people with no vested interest. Interesting that BYD isn't even close to Tesla's market cap but I assume that is because investors realize that BYD is subsidized and its profits are not real. It still is a major player and I expect it to be a top 3 automaker soon but a very risky investment because all Chinese companies are not transparent. Toyota is doing well because they have great products and investors feel they can pivot quickly to what their buyers want. Look how quickly and easily MG and BYD switched from ICE to EV.

13 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You should try holding up a sign saying "Immigrants go home" in London!

or a sign saying there are only two genders at a wnba game or harry potter convention

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

or a sign saying there are only two genders at a wnba game or harry potter convention

Again the obsession with transgenders. It's ok if you need to get something off your chest, artificial chest or otherwise. We don't judge here.

40 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Again the obsession with transgenders. It's ok if you need to get something off your chest, artificial chest or otherwise. We don't judge here.

nice try but besides being stupid, you lack creativity. try again.

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

nice try but besides being stupid, you lack creativity. try again.

Ok. Forget the silly chest puns - you are just obsessed by transgenders, that is all. You bring them in to so many threads. I believe conversion therapy might be a thing.

We are laughing about the Thais with their protectionist labour law, banning important trades like basket weaving for foreign workers, because they are simply unable to compete.

Who would have thought, that the USA has reached such a diminished state, where they are unable to compete in a technology sector like car production?

If nothing else is a clear sign that the USA is a rapidly failing state, this is it.

Edited Sunday at 05:05 PM1 day by jts-khorat

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Ok. Forget the silly chest puns - you are just obsessed by transgenders, that is all. You bring them in to so many threads. I believe conversion therapy might be a thing.

you are silly enough to see transgenders as a sexual matter as opposed to political.

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

you are silly enough to see transgenders as a sexual matter as opposed to political.

Obsession is obsession. PM me if you need to reach out.

7 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Ok. Forget the silly chest puns - you are just obsessed by transgenders, that is all. You bring them in to so many threads. I believe conversion therapy might be a thing.

He's missing them, since he's no longer allowed entrance to Cambodia

Between 2019 and 2025 investments in foreign EV and battery projects; USA $38 billion and China $100 billion.

Americans did not want to invest in Electic Vehicles and now that the consequences become evident they are crying.

I believe going back a few years ,around 2008 somewhere.

The US tax payers bailed out the then already dying car industry,did not help much just

extended the agony.

Talk about receiving direct subsidies.

That was the time the US car industry got their notice but they just kept dragging on with the same oversize beasts that guzzle too much fuel.

Not to long from now they will ask you to bail them out again.

(and you will)

On 9/4/2026 at 8:04 PM, Mr Awesome said:

It would be a different story if BYD didn't receive direct subsidies from the Chinese government. Then, US and European manufacturers have about five times the labor costs.

On 9/5/2026 at 4:19 PM, josephbloggs said:

A China shill? Grow up man, I just asked you a question.

I would actually agree with you about unsmiling folks. They are nowhere near as outwardly happy or as boisterous as Thais, they are far more introvert. So on the outside there is a lack of smiles. However, talk to them or get to know them and it's a different story. Work with them and you get to know them and they are the same as anyone.

The rest I disagree. The police are not an issue and are friendly and helpful when you need them and generally you don't even notice them.

Extreme poverty? Nope, that is the United States, not China.

https://www.theglobalcurrents.com/p/china-may-have-fewer-people-living

The rest is probably more to do with your outlook than anything. Same as here, project friendliness outwards and you usually get it back. But overall certainly not as outwardly friendly as Thais for example, not initially.

Dutch lady, motorcycle touring across China, encounters a Chinese toll booth operator. Seems very jolly.

https://youtu.be/NDxBW9DBh44?si=7F-5JDT0tl9EoiFw&t=536

Its been a fascinating series focusing on rural areas of China and Mongolia.