I have been watching CCTV 9 here in America and have seen that China want better relations with it's neighbors. They have sent government officals out to these countries to talk about what thing they can do together to better each other lives.

I know some might fear China and what influence they might bring to bear upon their neighbors but we also have to think that is Thailand has just a massive trading partner that the Thais can only benefit.

Is there a down side for Thailand to have close ties to China? If so, what?

What would be some of the major benefits to such a relationship if any?

I bet the toxic clan will turn better relations into better profits

I reckon that Thailand and most of SE Asia will eventually be a part of China, albiet with the same names as before.

I reckon that Thailand and most of SE Asia will eventually be a part of China, albiet with the same names as before.

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Could you go a little further with that thought?

Bit off topic but I was in the Marriot deli tonight and scooped a promotional copy of "China Economic Review" mag from their rack- I s'pose they think they're targeting a Hi So market there but really, i was just after the 50% discount on all goodies available after 6 pm daily

Some interesting articles (my main interest being the advertisers tho, British Airways being an anchor and some outfit calling themselves "Lehman Brown Intnl Accountants"??).

ie: Pirated I.P, a look at DVD copywrite rips etc , Dell giving what amounts to an advertorial on PC ownership and future market view, Shanghai's 'fashion scene' (ZzzzzzZz) "Corruption" becoming (??) a serious drag on China, all in all, sounds alot like Thailand in many ways...

Real Estate being the scary exception (if the article is correct)- Shanghai real estate for example has retracted 15-20% same 1/4, year on year (uh-oh). Makes me wonder if the Bank of China is coming clean on their NPLS and C.A.R.

HSBC is quoted as saying China's GDP growth will slow from (a whopping) 9% this year to 7.5% next year ("partly due to deceleration of private investment") and further declines are expected.

China's richest wasn't Li Ki Shing as I thought, rather someone named Huang Guangyu, Chairman of the unlikely named "Gnome Appliances Chain" at 1.7 billion personal net worth. Avg wealth of the top 100 richest apparently soared 48% TO usd 440 million.

How this all effects Thailand, i wouldn't know. Seems alot of bitching is going on in Chiang Mai & north on the imported goods highways and biways, from minor traders to factories who are apparently being outsourced or overtaken (out-corrupted?) by Chinese connections. Afterall, the motherland invented corruption and apparently remain the worlds masters at the game...

To sum up, sadly, this (and discounted deli food) is how I spent my friday night- if you made it this far, well, you're just as pathetic

Off to the tits thread then

Bit off topic but I was in the Marriot deli tonight and scooped a promotional copy of "China Economic Review" mag from their rack- I s'pose they think they're targeting a Hi So market there but really, i was just after the 50% discount on all goodies available after 6 pm daily 

Some interesting articles (my main interest being the advertisers tho, British Airways being an anchor and some outfit calling themselves "Lehman Brown Intnl Accountants"??).

ie: Pirated I.P, a look at DVD copywrite rips etc , Dell giving what amounts to an advertorial on PC ownership and future market view, Shanghai's 'fashion scene' (ZzzzzzZz) "Corruption" becoming (??) a serious drag on China, all in all, sounds alot like Thailand in many ways...

Real Estate being the scary exception (if the article is correct)- Shanghai real estate for example has retracted 15-20% same 1/4, year on year (uh-oh). Makes me wonder if the Bank of China is coming clean on their NPLS and C.A.R. 

HSBC is quoted as saying China's GDP growth will slow from (a whopping) 9% this year to 7.5% next year ("partly due to deceleration of private investment") and further declines are expected.

China's richest wasn't Li Ki Shing as I thought, rather someone named Huang Guangyu, Chairman of the unlikely named "Gnome Appliances Chain" at 1.7 billion personal net worth. Avg wealth of the top 100 richest apparently soared 48% TO usd 440 million.

How this all effects Thailand, i wouldn't know. Seems alot of bitching is going on in Chiang Mai & north on the imported goods highways and biways, from minor traders to factories who are apparently being outsourced or overtaken (out-corrupted?) by Chinese connections. Afterall, the motherland invented corruption and apparently remain the worlds masters at the game...

To sum up, sadly, this (and discounted deli food) is how I spent my friday night- if you made it this far, well, you're just as pathetic  

Off to the tits thread then

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Could it be that China is seeking closer trading ties to it's neighbors to make up for falling investments?

I reckon that Thailand and most of SE Asia will eventually be a part of China, albiet with the same names as before.

Could you go a little further with that thought?

IMHO

China is the fastest growing ecomony in the world and is not exactly rich in resources, i.e. oil. They need more resources than they can get on the market so they will have to get them from somewhere somehow. They have just built a huge naval base in Pakistan to ensure that if the mid east oil supply is cut off, they can go in and get it for themselves. Thailand is rich in resources and I just feel it would be a logical progression in the rise of the new empire (China).

I reckon that Thailand and most of SE Asia will eventually be a part of China, albiet with the same names as before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could you go a little further with that thought?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

IMHO

China is the fastest growing ecomony in the world and is not exactly rich in resources, i.e. oil. They need more resources than they can get on the market so they will have to get them from somewhere somehow. They have just built a huge naval base in Pakistan to ensure that if the mid east oil supply is cut off, they can go in and get it for themselves. Thailand is rich in resources and I just feel it would be a logical progression in the rise of the new empire (China).

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Do you think China would allow itself to get inolved with the wars in the Middle East for oil?

This interesting article was in last week's papers.

After living here for 9 months I can't see too many differences between the Thai's and the Chinese, sure on the surface it's different, the language is very agressive, there's lots of shouting and spitting and I will never again complain about Thai driving...

But at the heart of it the two races are understandably very similar. China is rife with corruption but it is not all financial. Building good 'Guanxi' or relationships is sometimes more important than financial reward. Chinese aren't very religious but they are very superstitious. Although they don't perform the Wei, one is left in no doubt of a group's heirechy. They drink and smoke and gamble like there's no tomorrow, if I may say, it's very same same but different.

In a lot of respects - and bear in mind I live in Dongguan, a bladerunner-esque industrial zone - Thailand is more sophisticated in many areas. The infrastructure here is weaker, the lawlessness is stronger, the police are as likely to be the instigators, there's no comfort walking the streets. The shopping is ok, as long as you want to buy a replica of a replica, or something plastic with a lifespan of 18 minutes, beyond that you'd better go to Hong Kong.

If the Tourism Authority of China had to come up with a new slogan, in my province at least, it could be 'tourism shmourism' English speakers are very much in the minority, except for the 14 year olds and below. (At least, they're the ones that follow me round the streets shouting at me) China could learn an awful lot from TAT

Saying all that, at a micro level I've made more quality friendships here than I ever did with any Thai person, and I lived there for nearly 5 years.

China is exciting and interesting, it can also be cold and hard, just like Thailand.

The Chinese are pursuing oil in the east china sea, africa and south america. They are also looking forward to a trans siberian pipline. They have oil deposits on land too but I don't know the quality of the oil.

Dispute with Japan

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5102101933.html

Dispute with Vietnam

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/spratly.htm

World oil Reserves

http://www.radford.edu/~wkovarik/oil/index.html

World Proved Natural Gas Reserves

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbo...r/2179rank.html

World Proved Oil Reserves

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbo...r/2178rank.html

World Proved Coal Reserves

http://www.geohive.com/charts/charts.php?x...lres&xsl=en_res

They are geared more towards the consumption of coal and natural gas, but I imagine they are branching out.

Edited November 5, 200520 yr by aughie