Seems we will be left lamenting........

China has 19% of the world's population, but consumes ... 53% of the world's cement ... 48% of the world's iron ore ... 47% of the world's coal ... and the majority of just about every major commodity.In 2010, China produced 11 times more steel than the United States. New World Record: China made and sold 18 million vehicles in 2010. There are more pigs in China than in the next 43 pork producing nations combined. China currently has the world's fastest train and the world's largest high-speed rail network. China is currently the number one producer in the world of wind and solar power. China currently controls more than 90% of the total global supply of rare earth elements. In the past 15 years, China has moved from 14th place to 2nd place in the world in published scientific research articles. China now possesses the fastest supercomputer on the entire globe. At the end of March 2011, China accumulated US$3.04 trillion in foreign currency reserves - the largest stockpile on the entire globe. Chinese consume 50,000 cigarettes every second .Not an enviable record though . Also a lot smarter than us.While they manufacture 80% of the worlds solar panels, They install less than 5%. And, Build a new coal fired power station every week and in 1 year turn on more new coal powered electricity than Australia's total output Already the largest carbon dioxide emitter, output will rise 70% by 2020.Glad we're saving the planet.Meanwhile ..... They're laughing at us already.... !!

China accumulated US$3.04 trillion in foreign currency reserves -

They won't be laughing after that is devalued to US$1 trillion.

China accumulated US$3.04 trillion in foreign currency reserves -

They won't be laughing after that is devalued to US$1 trillion.

I don't think that will worry them. It'll just make it easier for them to accumulate more and more until they control the world's financial systems.

The Chinese have never forgotten that they are the Middle Kingdom, Heaven above and the rest of the world below. I'm not sure that they worry about Heaven too much these days, though.

I wonder about those statistics

Things like steel for instance?

I know for decades & perhaps still we shipped all our scrape steel to them for pennies.

They in turn reconfigured it into goods & sold it back to us for $$$

Same for some of the other things they mention.

I wonder if they really meant consume?

As for their USD reserves....Yes as others mentioned it is a double edged sword.

They can try as they may to spend it as fast as they can & they do on many things like oil

& mines in Canada & elsewhere but they are at the mercy of the devaluation that continues

thanks to current US government thinking aided by the FED

As for heaven & China's placement. If they wanted to they could flood the world themselves with USD & kill it but they would not bite the hand that pays them & shoot themselves in the foot at the same time.

But one has to wonder how long someone wants a customer that is obviously losing their ability to pay in full.

Lastly I do not begrudge China anything that they have worked for to create/amass.

It is true little of what they create stays there because they can get more from us & their workers make too little to pay. But at some point they may decide to lower their prices sell to their own & really become more self sufficient.

When we in the US return to actually producing instead of just consuming we could get back in the game too.

I am old enough to remember being teased if we owned anything like radios etc as kids that said "made in Japan" Back then Zenith, RCA etc ruled the quality

Back then the others would all laugh & say...Made in Japan....junk

Times have changed & we see now the cost in jobs, productivity, pride in workmanship etc.

I wonder about those statistics

me too! why was China's share of Unobtainium not listed?

I wonder about those statistics

me too! why was China's share of Unobtainium not listed?

Because I have all of it ! bwahahaha

But one has to wonder how long someone wants a customer that is obviously losing their ability to pay in full.

We may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

I am old enough to remember being teased if we owned anything like radios etc as kids that said "made in Japan" Back then Zenith, RCA etc ruled the quality

Back then the others would all laugh & say...Made in Japan....junk

I have the same memories.

Kid #1: I got a new watch!

Kid #2: Let me see. Oh, what's this written on the back? "Made in Japan"!? HA HA HA

Kid #1: No it isn't! No it isn't!

We may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

Why not sell them Manhattan? It must be showing a pretty good profit by now. But you may well find they own quite a chunk of it already.

We may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

Why not sell them Manhattan? It must be showing a pretty good profit by now. But you may well find they own quite a chunk of it already.

According to this they could buy a helluva lot more than just Manhattan.

http://www.radicalcartography.net/?manhattan-value

The US has no problem with China. They can buy ink from China and print more dollars. Simple, really.

we may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

My vote is California, followed closely by Illinois.

My vote is sell the FED Reserve 1st

Then the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facilities in Washington and Fort Worth

We could save a lot of time

My vote is sell the FED Reserve 1st

Then the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facilities in Washington and Fort Worth

We could save a lot of time

You wouldn't get much for an empty building.

My vote is sell the FED Reserve 1st

Then the Bureau of Engraving and Printing facilities in Washington and Fort Worth

We could save a lot of time

You wouldn't get much for an empty building.

:lol:

That is the beauty of it.....The building has always been & will always be empty

Just as the paper they produce is a hollow promise but look at what they have gotten with it.

The kicker is they continue to find buyers for it even now. Albeit they now buy an awful lot of their

own paper with guess what? More of their own paper.

China accumulated US$3.04 trillion in foreign currency reserves -

They won't be laughing after that is devalued to US$1 trillion.

I believe they need not concern themselves, as a new [Chinese controlled] currency exchange standard will be making it's mark within a span of 7-8 years. No more "dependency" on the whims of an illusional American system.

But one has to wonder how long someone wants a customer that is obviously losing their ability to pay in full.

We may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

I am old enough to remember being teased if we owned anything like radios etc as kids that said "made in Japan" Back then Zenith, RCA etc ruled the quality

Back then the others would all laugh & say...Made in Japan....junk

I have the same memories.

Kid #1: I got a new watch!

Kid #2: Let me see. Oh, what's this written on the back? "Made in Japan"!? HA HA HA

Kid #1: No it isn't! No it isn't!

In 1967 Seiko watches took 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th places at the Neuchatel Observatory Competition beating companies like Patek & Girrard. Shortly afterwards the competition was closed. In 2009 the Concourse Internationale do Chronometrie decided to have another compo to see who made the most accurate mechanical watches. They only allowed participants from Switzerland, the EU and the Russian Federation. Their excuse was that in order to let the Japanese and the Chinese (who make some quite good movements) participate they'd need to have both Japanese and Chinese speakers on hand and they didn't have any. They were frightened of Seiko in 1967 and they're still frightened today.

But one has to wonder how long someone wants a customer that is obviously losing their ability to pay in full.

We may not have cash but we have loads of collateral.

200 years ago when France needed money they sold the US the Louisiana Purchase.

130 years ago Russia needed money and sold us Alaska.

What will we sell China? How about Arkansas?

I am old enough to remember being teased if we owned anything like radios etc as kids that said "made in Japan" Back then Zenith, RCA etc ruled the quality

Back then the others would all laugh & say...Made in Japan....junk

I have the same memories.

Kid #1: I got a new watch!

Kid #2: Let me see. Oh, what's this written on the back? "Made in Japan"!? HA HA HA

Kid #1: No it isn't! No it isn't!

In 1967 Seiko watches took 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th places at the Neuchatel Observatory Competition beating companies like Patek & Girrard. Shortly afterwards the competition was closed. In 2009 the Concourse Internationale do Chronometrie decided to have another compo to see who made the most accurate mechanical watches. They only allowed participants from Switzerland, the EU and the Russian Federation. Their excuse was that in order to let the Japanese and the Chinese (who make some quite good movements) participate they'd need to have both Japanese and Chinese speakers on hand and they didn't have any. They were frightened of Seiko in 1967 and they're still frightened today.

I still have the Seiko watch that I got for my birthday in 1979. The LCD died on me about 28 years later and if I find someone that can fix it I'll wear that dinosaur again.

I still have the Seiko watch that I got for my birthday in 1979. The LCD died on me about 28 years later and if I find someone that can fix it I'll wear that dinosaur again.

So the teasing that went on at school over Japanese-made electronics was based on myth and maybe xenophobia?

That was a very early lcd display indeed. I recall in 1979 I had a Casio Sports 100 (also a birthday present)........safe to immerse to 100 metres depth. I never went close to that deep, but by golly it had some rough use in the surf...and my calculator was a Casio FX80. A few years ago my son had to have a calculator for school; the recommended calculator was the Casio FX81....almost the same as mine 30-something years previous.....just a few more features and a little smaller.

There is a reason Japan became a significant economy and China is following the same path: Start off pirating cheap clones....re-invest the proceeds into R&D, then produce new quality products.

A couple of days ago I needed to replace the focussing lens of my American-made laser cutter. $600 from the local agent, $200 if I get it direct from America, $40 from China, and my extensive reserach reveals that the Chinese one is as good as the American one (these days...admittedly the Chinese ones were of poor quality a few years back). It's a no brainer, so even though I am a big fan of supporting my local economy and buying from local merchants, I have ordered the Chinese one.

I still have the Seiko watch that I got for my birthday in 1979. The LCD died on me about 28 years later and if I find someone that can fix it I'll wear that dinosaur again.

So the teasing that went on at school over Japanese-made electronics was based on myth and maybe xenophobia?

1979 was years after the teasing and most Japanese products were cheap quality back then.

I've got a Seiko quartz with an analogue face that I bought on Mina Al Ahmadi sea island in 1975. New battery and it still flies. My first trip to sea, my first quartz watch. The one brings back memories of the other.

I still have the Seiko watch that I got for my birthday in 1979. The LCD died on me about 28 years later and if I find someone that can fix it I'll wear that dinosaur again.

So the teasing that went on at school over Japanese-made electronics was based on myth and maybe xenophobia?

Is it not possible for you to have conversations with people whose views you disagree with without baiting them? How old are you?

1979 was years after the teasing and most Japanese products were cheap quality back then.

Yes even Endures mention of 1967 may have already been a bit late.

When we were kids most of the made in japan junk was electronic related things.

But also remember those were the days that transistors were just getting started.

America had a very rich history of vacuum tubes. RCA, Zenith,Sylvania etc. all produced

excellent quality audio products & Televisions as well.

Even today high end Audio Stereo aficionados seek out old ( New Old Stock )tubes for their stereos that

cost 10's of thousands.

I use to build tube amplifiers for guitars up to about 8 years ago & sell them to

guitar players.

Last month I found I still had a small stash of tubes. Probably cost me about $3-400 10 years ago.

I sold them online to a guy in Canada for $1200 USD

I probably could have gotten 2k if I was willing to break the lot up but did not want to deal with shipping 1 or 2 tubes

to 30 guys.

I still have the Seiko watch that I got for my birthday in 1979. The LCD died on me about 28 years later and if I find someone that can fix it I'll wear that dinosaur again.

So the teasing that went on at school over Japanese-made electronics was based on myth and maybe xenophobia?

Is it not possible for you to have conversations with people whose views you disagree with without baiting them? How old are you?

Bugger off....don't impugn me by suggesting I'm childish. My tone and words were entirely conversational. My views often coincide with koheesti's, and when they don't, I don't mince words.

Certain posters (myself included) have been warned to not be argumentative. This forum has been quite pleasant since the belligerant one's have seemingly lost interest.....now you stir the pot.

1979 was years after the teasing and most Japanese products were cheap quality back then.

Yes even Endures mention of 1967 may have already been a bit late.

When we were kids most of the made in japan junk was electronic related things.

But also remember those were the days that transistors were just getting started.

America had a very rich history of vacuum tubes. RCA, Zenith,Sylvania etc. all produced

excellent quality audio products & Televisions as well.

My father was a vacuum tube engineer for RCA then GE and was laid off in 1975 back when I was in the 5th grade. I remember freaking because one option he had was to go work in Singapore. Today I can't imagine how different my life would have been spending a few years there instead of growing up in Smalltown, USA.

My father was a vacuum tube engineer for RCA then GE and was laid off in 1975 back when I was in the 5th grade. I remember freaking because one option he had was to go work in Singapore. Today I can't imagine how different my life would have been spending a few years there instead of growing up in Smalltown, USA.

That's cool !

I forgot to mention GE as they were also very big.

Yes I'm guessing your life would have been quite different living in Singapore as a kid.

Times have changed. It's starting to look like the USA and Vietnam as allies against China.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903480904576507883976705762.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read

Beijing has named the South China Sea one of its "core interests," meaning it could potentially go to war to protect it. Smaller Asian nations were already wary of China's growing military prowess, but the launch of its first carrier is yet another message about its increasing strength.

"We hope that China, as a major power, will contribute positively and responsively to maintain peace and stability in the region and in the world," Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said last week in response to a question about China's new carrier.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, which the U.S. has said it has a national interest in making sure freedom of navigation continues in an area home to vital shipping lanes.

Poor, poor China.

No respect. And after all they've contributed and influence extended to the world and history.

Vietnam and China have been enemies for a long time. After the US-Vietnam war, China and Vietnam had a small border war and Vietnam kicked their butts.

After the US-Vietnam war, Vietnam did a major purge of Chinese. China as I recall sent ships to evacuate the ethnic Chinese and return them to China.

The traditional ally of Vietnam during the war period was Russia, not China.

Poor, poor China.

No respect. And after all they've contributed and influence extended to the world and history.

Can you list a few of these contributions from the past 100 years?

I lived briefly in China and liked it. I had zero problems. Even the guy assigned to follow me around took me out drinking.

Poor, poor China.

No respect. And after all they've contributed and influence extended to the world and history.

Can you list a few of these contributions from the past 100 years?

I lived briefly in China and liked it. I had zero problems. Even the guy assigned to follow me around took me out drinking.

You're not an Euro-apologists, are you?

As they're difficult to find.