The WSJ article you linked to begins: "Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis." Does that really poke a hole in my theory?
Look at the chart. The selling began in late 2013, not 2010 as claimed in the 2011 NYT article. The article itself is from 2015. So the selling did not occur in 2010 as claimed. That doesn't poke any holes in your theory, it just suggests you examine your sources more closely before you publish. Unlike a potential adversary that would use that to discredit you, believe it or not, I'm actually trying to help.
So basically you agree with Trudeau... the Chinese are out to get us?
Let's see.... a nation that built itself up on cheap exports would definitely want to undermine their number one customer. Yeah, that makes sense. Of course to do so you'd want to put the profits from your trade surplus into US treasures because nothing defeats your enemy faster than supporting their bond market, right?
Granted they're heavily exposed and the US freezing Russian foreign reserves did somewhat undermine confidence, but where else can they go? The Euro? The Yen? Neither market is large enough to absorb their trade surplus. Now if Saudi Arabia can be persuaded to take Yuan instead of dollars for oil, then recycle those Yuan back into the Chinese bond market, you may have something, but it hasn't happened yet, and I suspect if they started down that road they'd end up like Iraq or Libya, both of whom tried to break away from dollar hegemony, which is why they got trashed and their leaders executed.
Now about this book, 'Unrestricted Warfare.' Let me first point out that every major military power has a plan to defeat their potential enemies. They'd be completely negligent if they didn't have one because that's what the military is supposed to do, prepare for war. That's what all these various exercises are about - preparing for war - but also demonstrating to your adversaries that you are prepared: Si vis pacem, para bellum. So nothing new there. Nothing new about Sun Tsu either. It's required reading at all military academies.
Now about the authors, Qiao Liang (乔良) and Wang Xiangsui (王湘穗).
Has anyone checked to see if they actually exist?
I find what Wikipedia (*) has to say about it very interesting.
"Taylor Fravel pointed out a common distortion in translation of the subtitle of the book. While it was translated and understood in the West by many as "China’s Master Plan to Destroy America", the actual subtitle was "Two Air Force Senior Colonels on Scenarios for War and the Operational Art in an Era of Globalization".[1]
This is also interesting:
The English translation of the book was first made available by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service in 1999.[5][2] The book was then published in English by a previously unknown Panamanian publisher, with the subtitle "China's Master Plan to Destroy America" and a picture of the burning World Trade Center on the cover.[12] A French translation was published in 2003.[13]
Foreign Broadcast Information Service? That's the CIA.
"previously unknown Panamanian publisher" Also CIA.
I'd be very surprised if these two PLA colonels even exist. One thing about colonels: that's an operational rank. Colonels are not typically involved in strategic planning, and they definitely don't spill the beans about those plans, so I call shenanigans here.
(*) More than a few times I've seen people say "I don't trust Wikipedia and anyone who cites them is suspect" (meaning me). Wrong. Wikipedia is a valuable source of information, just not in the way most people imagine. Consider their article on neuro-linguistic programming.
Right out of the gate they call it 'pseudoscientific' as if that isn't a giant red flag telling you it's something they don't want you taking seriously. Probably because it's a key element in psychological warfare, and you wouldn't want just anyone to know that, right?
Wikipedia gives the game away constantly with their ham-fisted attacks on anything and anyone that doesn't support the current agenda. When I'm researching a topic, it's the first place I look, and I'm hardly ever disappointed.
Now read their write-up on Unrestricted Warfare. You see any skepticism there? Any doubts as to the source of the documents? They take this book as prima facie evidence of China's intent. And from a mere couple of Colonels, no less!
I must have seen dozens of these types of books over the 20 odd years I was a stock trader. Writing an alarmist screed is par for the course if you're trying to promote your investment business. It's even called 'talking your book.' That's not to say there aren't some very sharp minds in the investment business, but this guy ain't one of them.
Look, just take the position that nothing is ever quite what it seems. You're less likely to go wrong that way than taking things at face value. At least you could ask the question, Cui Bono? Who benefits from all this nonsense about China, Russia and Iran? Not you or me, that's for sure.
I've studied all three of our so-called adversaries, and what jumps out at me is how well they've dodged every attempt to derail them, and that they've each managed to advance their social well being enormously using three very different organizing principles. What that says to me is that almost any system of social organization has a decent chance of success if it has strong leadership dedicated to national sovereignty, and is economically and militarily powerful enough to resist the Global Hegemon.
That's what all the panic is about. The NWO boys have hit a BRIC wall. No need to make it any more complicated than that.
Cui Bono? Who benefits from China being the dominant military power in the world? Umm... is this a trick question? I'd say China, but that would be too obvious. The Jews?
People think a lot of things about China, most of which are incorrect. They should talk to some Chinese people. Maybe visit China, see what's up.
China has a vastly different culture than the West. They've been around for thousands of years and have survived every catastrophe that's befallen them. We're the new kids on the block and we're going to tell them how to run their affairs? Take Taiwan for instance. Parliamentary system modelled on the British. Ever seen one of their sessions that turned into a punching match? Women slapping each other in the face? It's epic and very hilarious, but no way to run a country.
At the moment the Chinese Communist Party has that mandate, which everyone understands. If they fail in their mission, which is to protect and provide for the Chinese people, then they'll be replaced, which everyone also understands. We don't have anything like that in western society. The divine right of Kings is as close as we ever came, but that provided nothing for the common people. It's right in Xi's speech. Socialism with Chinese characteristics = Mandate of Heaven.
As for your comment about Trudeau at the top... you're haven't been following the foreign interference inquiry, are you?
Look up Zhang Bin:
Mr. Zhang, a Chinese billionaire with a home in Quebec, was one of two figures behind a 2016 donation to the University of Montreal and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which CSIS suspected of being part of an influence operation to target Justin Trudeau. The foundation said it returned the money.
That was meant as a joke. Years ago Trudeau was heaping praise on China in some talk to university students. He liked the fact that they get things done without all the messy debate we have in parliament. Shows how little he knows of how Chinese politics work. Or maybe he was joking? Who knows? Who cares? The guy's a non-entity. As for China interfering in our elections, why should I believe that? The first rule of any investigator is 'consider the source.' I don't consider Canadian intelligence services, mainstream media or politicians to be reliable sources. Remember how Russia was supposed to have influence the US elections? That turned out to be BS, so why would you take this story seriously?
umm... because I've followed Canadian politics closely my entire life and it's clear that something weird is going on?
Like take the appointment of Senator Yuen Pah Woo...Does anyone know why Trudeau appointed this guy as to sit as an independent senator?
Back in the day Senator appointments were patronage positions... Liberals appointed Liberals and Conservatives appointed Conservatives... if there were independents, it was because they'd been kicked out of one of those caucuses for being involved in some scandal.
Listen, you can't deny that the evidence of Chinese interference is piling up. These are credible allegations we're talking about. Look into Michael Chan & Han Dong.
I'm always suspicious when a government accuses a foreign power of interfering in their domestic affairs. Seems more like a distraction meant to take our attention off something they're doing themselves. But let's say it's true, which is entirely possible since we do the same thing - maybe not with China, but definitely with Russia and Iran. If so, then what's the goal? What are the Chinese trying to achieve with such a risky strategy? More favourable trade terms? More opportunities to invest in Canada? What are they after?
I just don't see a motive, and I always look for a motive when someone accuses someone else of nefarious behaviour. In Canada's case we interfere grossly in the affairs of others, like sending arms to Ukraine for instance. So what's in it for China? Must be fairly big for them to take such risks no?
Call it a default assumption, but anything that comes out of the mouths of our current government, especially the PM I assume is a lie. Like Tony Montana said in Scarface, "I always tell the truth, even when I'm lying."
"If so, then what's the goal? What are the Chinese trying to achieve with such a risky strategy? More favourable trade terms? More opportunities to invest in Canada? What are they after?"
1. Resources (water, oil, gas, timber, minerals)
2. Deep water ports in Prince Rupert and Kitimat would be very useful in WWIII
3. Russia is planning to take control of the Northwest Passage and China is pursuing a joint military strategy with Russia.
4. Revenge for Opium Wars
5. B.C. is a major destination for Chinese criminals parking laundered cash
... should I keep going? Why does any empire dominant a weaker, resource-rich country? Because they can.
You're acting like this is hard to understand. It's not. People are in denial.
"5. B.C. is a major destination for Chinese criminals parking laundered cash"
Right, and who allowed that to happen?
I saw that whole sorry saga unfold from my perch in West Vancouver, starting with the turn over of Hong Kong. Oh those poor fellow capitalists! We must offer them sanctuary! (and think of all the money they'll bring in!). Was it any wonder what would happen if we put zero restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate (like they do almost everywhere else on the planet?) and then invite millions of Chinese to buy up everything in sight?
As always, Cui Bono? Friends and associates of our political class do you suppose? And to add insult to injury, ordinary Canadians start hating on the Chinese, as if they were the cause and not simply an effect. I lost track of the number of people I told to fuck off who had an axe to grind with the Chinese. How do you think all that affected Chinese Canadians who fled China in the 50's when the communists took over and arrived with just the shirts on their backs? My next door neighbour was one of them.
As for the criminal element, what would you expect? Open a fucking casino and who do you suppose is going to show up? How is that China's fault, except for the fact they were only too glad to be rid of them?
I lived in Vancouver for almost 40 years. I saw the whole thing unfold. Half our friends were Chinese when we lived there as were both our neighbours. I wish they'd come to Canada under better terms, but it is what it is. I don't blame them or the Chinese govt. for anything that happened. It's all on us. We let our political class get away with it because most Canadians are simply too lazy or stupid to take an interest in anything but Dancing with the Stars, or who's going to win the Stanley Cup. This is a nation of idiots if you haven't noticed. That a bunch of lawyers and real estate developers would take advantage of that is no real mystery, in fact it's a given.
I'd say it's you that's in denial. These are Neocon talking points, well #3 and #4 are. #1 is what everyone needs, so no surprise there. How you go about it is the main issue, so let's compare Russia and China's strategy to the US. We can leave out Russia because they already have everything they need, except maybe bananas and pineapples. China trades for what it needs. If you want to criticize their trade practices go ahead, but they haven't invaded Iraq, occupied Syria, destroyed Libya, attacked Serbia, threatened Iran, fostered a coup in Ukraine, sanctioned Russia and blown up a major pipeline that Germany was depending on, and that's not even mentioning decades of dirty wars in Latin America.... should I continue?
"China is pursuing a joint military strategy with Russia." OMG! How dare they! I thought only NATO was allowed to do that?
Revenge for the opium wars? I think China has more of a bone to pick with Japan, and yet Japan is the 3rd largest investor in China and China is Japan's largest trade partner.
Seriously man, what kind of leftist are you? You've clearly got a bee under your bonnet over China, but who put it there? Who have you been listening to?
I don't see the problem. Incidentally, my father was involved in these kinds of trade agreements between Japan/Canada and Korea/Canada. That's where my family connection to Japan comes from. My parents and younger sister lived in Japan for over 10 years.
Okay, okay, I'll admit I'm still working on understanding things like bond markets and all that... but did you read the article all the way through? I believe Rickards addresses the bond question.
"China has over $3 trillion of investments denominated in U.S. dollars, and every 10 percent devaluation in the dollar engineered by the Fed represents a $300 billion real wealth transfer from China to the United States. It is not clear how long China will tolerate this raid on its accumulated wealth. If China were not able to defeat the United States in the air or on the sea, it could attack through capital markets."
All that shows is that Marshal doesn't understand anything about global bond markets. Marshal takes an investor's view of the bond market. Oh dear, how long can we take these paper losses?! The answer is as long as there's a bond market. China doesn't invest in US treasuries to make a profit. They already made a huge profit on trade and have nowhere to put it except the US bond market! China buys US bonds to support US purchasing power so they can buy Chinese goods. It's a circular arrangement. China's main concern is keeping over 1 billion people working, fed, housed and out of trouble - especially the kind of trouble that threatens the government and that is constantly being promoted by western NGOs and other agencies. The idea that they'd attack the US markets by dumping bonds is just ridiculous. They'd be cutting their own throats. Who's going to buy their stuff if the US sinks into depression? The fact that they're looking around the world for new trading partners in central Asia and Africa is simply evidence that they're afraid the US will collapse of it's own incompetence, corruption and psychotic hubris. They are in no rush to hasten that process, in fact it alarms them.
Then there's this:
"Approximately $60 trillion of wealth was destroyed from the peak in October 2007 to the trough in March 2009. If such a catastrophe could be caused by instruments as innocuous as mortgages,.... etc."
This show a stunning lack of understanding of what actually happened. There was nothing 'innocuous' about it. It was a massive fraud caused by banks securitizing mortgages. That is, instead of keeping the loans on their books, they bundled them into securities and sold them to investors, including mutual funds, pension funds and hedge funds. In effect they offloaded all the risk, which gave them zero incentive to stop doing that because it earned them massive risk free returns. The whole concept of credit worthiness went out the window and loans were being made to people who couldn't afford them, thus running up the cost of housing which lead to even larger mortgages with nothing backing them, rinse and repeat. It was the world's biggest Ponzi scheme since the South Seas Bubble.
All of that happened because the US Congress repealed the Glass Steagall act of 1933 which separated investment banking from commercial banking - the original cause of the 29 crash and following depression.
Unfortunately he was far too early and completely underestimated how far the bubble would run, but he was basically correct about the underlying causes.
Just to recap, if China starting dumping US bonds it would cause a run on the dollar which would destroy the value of any dollars they received from the sale, but before that got too far out of hand the US treasury would just print dollars and start buying their own bonds, thus putting a floor under the price. That may or may not work, depending on how serious the rest of the world viewed the situation and whether they had somewhere else to park their foreign reserves (such as gold) but the turmoil created would undermine every financial market in the world, including China's, and no one wants to see that happen. No that it can't or won't happen - I expect it will at some point, but that's too hard to predict. The only think I can say with any confidence is it won't be China triggering the event.
A lot to respond to there, and I was dropping a hint by mentioning that it was published by an "obscure Panamanian publisher"... I don't know if it was published by the C.I.A., but that right there should raise eyebrows... Panama's not exactly known for his thriving English-language publishing industry.
You don't address the more interesting thing - the fact that the cover showed the Twin Towers in flames a year before 9/11.
"You don't address the more interesting thing - the fact that the cover showed the Twin Towers in flames a year before 9/11."
This is what I mean by taking things at face value. Have you seen an actual copy of this book? If it exists do you know if it was actually printed in 2000, or was it reprinted later with a different cover? There's no way to know any of this, but the book is fishy to begin with, so why wouldn't they print it with a fake publishing date to keep the conspiracy enthusiasts busy?
What we are experiencing is not what it seems at first. This is not a fight between two systems. There are aspects of it that are real, but they exist only to mask the deliberate destruction of the West by the Western Imperial Oligarchy. The people of the West must be diminished, enslaved or killed because these are the only people who could stand in the way of the final oligarchical move in their quest for planetary control - incorporating all other parts of the world. In order for this to happen they are engineering tensions, chaos, wars and they are deliberately destroying the existing political systems of the West, destroying economies, rapidly diminishing human rights. They are working on restricting energy supplies, food supplies, etc. They are injecting us with bio-weapons. The collapse of the monetary system is part of the overall strategy of destruction. Oligarchy feels they must burn their own domains to ashes, on which they intend to build their NWO, incorporating the oligarchies of the rest of the world. Oligarchy helped create Communism, and they’ve built up China for the same exact purpose. The Empire grows by synthesis of opposites. In order for this to work, they must create opposites.
This seems to be the dominant narrative in the Truth Movement. I'm not so sure. I could be wrong, but couldn't it be that China has masterfully outwitted the West by using the greed of capitalists against them? If so, wouldn't that be a masterful martial arts strategy?
Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm the only one in the Truth movement who's actually read Mao...
We will find out the truth if we live long enough to see the final outcome. Like I said, there are aspect of this which are true, but nothing China could have done would have resulted in this sort of destruction of the West. It could only have happened by active participation of the Western Oligarchy. How could have China made the West inject billions of its own people with a bio-weapon? China could not have engineered the war in Ukraine, a result of which was severing Europe from cheap Russian energy, destroying the economy of Europe. China did not come up with global warming psy-op which is providing rationale for all sorts of restrictions on energy, food, travel,… I can go on and on. What is happening cannot be explained by any enemy attack on us - regardless how smart and sophisticated they are. The West seemingly acts foolishly fascinated by short term goals, but the Oligarchy seems to have much longer goals. We just don’t seem to be aware of them. We can date the Oligarchy at least back to Venice, Genoa,…, which moved their banking center first to Holland, then to England, finally to the US in the 20th Century, and now they are ready for the final push Eastward. Each time the Oligarchy grew richer and with more control. The Great Britain was exhausted by the cost of her Empire and two World Wars, but the City of London was not replaced by the Wall Street. They are intending a similar outcome in their final move.
Russia and China aren’t building an alternative which can save us.
"Russia and China aren’t building an alternative which can save us."
They're not trying to save us, they're trying to save themselves and doing a fairly good job of it I would say. I wish we'd follow their example and look after our own people instead of trying to impose our will on the rest of the world.
Not in the Gladio sense I don't think, but they have their own internal problems of course, especially in the northwest with the Uighurs and of course Tibet, though that seems to have died down somewhat. It's hard to get reliable information on what's happening internally and western sources tend to exaggerate with the aim of discrediting China, but like all nations they do have their dark side.
I doubt they're committing genocide of the Uighurs, but they are trying to forcibly integrate them into Chinese society, which is what I believe the camps are about. The camp approach is not unique to Uighurs though, they use the same approach on their own criminal element - reeducation through labour - although I believe part of it includes skills training and instruction in Mandarin so they can find employment when released. Don't know how well that's working.
Internal migration is something they keep a close eye on. Minority people go to the cities looking for work, many of them without permits which is similar to the US migrant labour situation. They tend to cluster in areas which can be a source of problems, but again, information is sparse. When we were there we saw a lot of them around the railway stations offering to change money at twice the bank rate, which was tempting, but things were so cheap back then it wasn't worth the trouble. There was a two currency system back then, RMB for Chinese, and FEC for foreigners (foreign exchange certificates). Visitors were only supposed to use FECs, and there was a black market for them because you needed them to buy goods in the duty free shops, but we had no problem using RMBs, even the banks would change dollars for RMB which they weren't supposed to do. It was a strange time because a whole bunch of reforms had just come in and the country was opening up to tourism which meant you could travel around by yourself and not as part of a tour group. People still weren't sure how to deal with foreigners and outside of the hotels no one spoke English and all the signs were in Chinese. Fortunately my wife could read them, but everyone thought she was Chinese, which was strange because I learned some basic Mandarin but she didn't, so people were confused by that. I'd speak what little I knew and she'd write the characters, so we managed that way.
One thing that really stood out was how curious people were to see a western guy with what they took to be a Chinese wife. People constantly stared at us, one guy so hard that he fell off his bike...lol. Definitely one of the most interesting places I've visited, but all different now I'm sure, so I don't hold myself out as any kind of expert. You could live there for years and not understand what's going on, which is the case with many foreigners working there, mostly as English teachers. They tend to stay in their own ghettos and don't really mix too much.
One thing that really stood out and I think it's still true, is the sense of security you feel. China is probably one of the safest places on earth to travel and I've been in a few sketchy countries over the years where I had to constantly watch my back. The only other place where I felt that secure is Japan.
From travelling extensively in East Asia, and of course being married to a Japanese and thus part of her family, I've gained some insight into the way they view things and it's definitely different from us westerners. My brother married a Thai, so I have some exposure to that world as well. Can't say I'm all that keen on Thailand. Beautiful place and friendly people, but you do have to watch your back, and it's easy to get into trouble there. Given a choice I'd sooner live in Japan or China.
No, they are not trying to save us but too many of us seem to mistakenly believe this. China is in a similar position that the US was before it was taken over by the Globalist Oligarchy. American governing structures were, of course, oligarchical but they were fundamentally different than they are today. The Globalist Oligarchy did not rest until they took control of the US. This same Globalist Oligarchy is not resting until they absorb China in a similar fashion. It took two World Wars to exhaust the British Empire and for Globalist Empire to move its center of gravity to the US, the new hegemon. The US is now similarly exhausted, and the Globalist Oligarchy is looking for the final move. Will they succeed? We don’t know, but if they do, it will be similar to how they captured the US.
I don't really get this argument... it's not like the "Globalist Oligarchy" consists of a single monolithic cabal... I think it's better thought of like NYC's Mafia Commission (the Five Families)... why do people assume they have unified interests? At a certain point it will be every man for himself.
OK, think of it as a Mafia Commission with much more cohesion. This may change but so far, they have been pretty much on the same page. You would think that European Oligarchy would have distanced itself from the Core because European economy is clearly under attack. This, so far, clearly has not been the case. This does not mean this will remain so forever but the fact that it hasn’t already happened should tell us something. Globalist Oligarchical control and cohesion is much greater than the typical mobsters’ families.
"This same Globalist Oligarchy is not resting until they absorb China in a similar fashion."
Arguably they already tried in the 19th century, the era of foreign domination when viewed from the Chinese perspective. I believe that's why Communism was so successful in China - it drove out the foreign devils once and for all. This is a key point in Chinese national sentiment, comparable to how Russians feel about the 90's but it runs much deeper. In Russia's case you still have a 5th column (albeit weakened lately) that's aligned with western interests, but not so much in China. In Russia you can blend in, in China you stand out, so it's much harder to subvert them. Also their leadership has studied in great detail what happened to the USSR and have drawn important lessons from that.
I think the key element that binds China and Russia together is that they're both intent on defending their sovereignty, and that overrides the differences in the two systems, which are both essentially socialist anyway, with China moving cautiously towards something closer to what Russia already is. I see that combination as an impenetrable barrier to western domination, which is the source of all the western hysteria. They missed their chance with Russia thanks to Putin, who drove out most of the western backed oligarchs. I think the Great Game is still being run out of London, but they've failed in their global strategy, which was to dominate Russia and thereby weaken China. That's off the table now, which is the message of Ukraine when viewed in the broader context.
Russia and China are natural partners, not just in terms of defence but in mutually beneficial trade. China needs a reliable source of energy and new markets to replace a declining west, while Russia can benefit from Chinese manufactured goods and machine tools, replacing Germany and the EU as a supplier. Down the road I can see immigration between the two as well, probably starting with Russians taking Chinese wives. China's population has stabilized now, but Russia still has a demographic problem and needs to repopulate following the disaster of WWII. Chinese immigration can be a source of new blood as long as it's managed correctly, not in the free for all manner as it has been in Canada or the US, but in careful steps such that the new arrivals assimilate rather than forming subcultures. Further down the road I can see a special economic zone being established in the far east - something similar to Shenzen - where investment gets favourable treatment and the entire region is developed to the benefit of both nations.
Sorry if I went of on multiple tangents here. That tends to happen with subjects that I'm very interested in:)
Was the US engaging in these tactics while pursuing its own national development before it was itself captured. The answer is no! I am not equating China with the Empire. I am not cheering for the Empire. I also wish for all countries to extricate themselves from the imperial yoke. I also hope that China will withstand the pressure to fold into the Empire, but we must not be engaging in wishful thinking. Empire is relentlessly pursuing its goals.
The policy of tensions, conflicts and wars is the imperial policy. It is a recognizable pattern used repeatedly. That is how they’ve achieved total control of the West. Imperial Oligarchy has engaged in assassinations of leaders, state terrorism (Gladio) within their own domaim, until they achieved total control. We forget that they haven’t enjoyed total control before assassinating JFK, or in France during De Gaul, whom they’ve tried to assassinate multiple times. Today, the West is completely controlled. Empire gobbled up any vestiges of independence of its vassal states. They will not be happy until they control all remaining independent countries, and are doing everything possible to achieve this goal. In addition to creating tensions with Russia and China, they are also diminishing the capability of the people of their vassal states to rebel and mess up their imperial plans.
We can call the Empire what we want but we commit a cardinal error when we think Britain, and the US are anything more than vassal states themselves. They may be more important vassal states but they are vassal states nevertheless.
"In January 2011 The New York Times reported that China had been a net seller of U.S. Treasury securities in 2010 after years of being a net buyer. The Times report found this selling strange because China was still accumulating huge dollar reserves from its trade surpluses and was still buying dollars to manipulate the value of its currency. The implication was that China must still be a large buyer of Treasuries, even though official data showed otherwise. The Times noted that in 2010 Britain had emerged as the world’s largest purchaser of Treasury securities, and it inferred that China had “shifted purchases to accounts managed by British money managers.” In effect, China was using London bankers as a front operation to continue buying U.S. Treasury notes while Beijing officially reported that it was selling."
First rule: Consider the source. In this case the NY Times. US Govt. policy mouthpiece. Next look at the language: "....and it inferred that China had “shifted purchases to accounts managed by British money managers.” In effect, China was using London bankers as a front operation to continue buying U.S. Treasury notes while Beijing officially reported that it was selling."
From inference to statement of fact in one fell swoop.
Now let's look at the premise:
"In January 2011 The New York Times reported that China had been a net seller of U.S. Treasury securities in 2010 after years of being a net buyer.
ORLY? Look at the charts. You see any selling in 2010?
I clearly gave the source of the information. I don't spoon-feed my readers. I trust my readers to decide what to make of the information I give them.
I agree that the New York Times is propaganda, but if I can't cite the NYT for financial information, who can I cite? Is the Wall Street Journal any better?
The WSJ article you linked to begins: "Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis."
Does that really poke a hole in my theory?
The long-term trend is that China is divesting from Treasury bonds. To me, it looks like a slow motion rug pull that's part of a military strategy that involves manipulation of financial markets, but hey, draw your own conclusions.
From a recent Reuters article:
Although China's selling of U.S. Treasury securities over the past year raises multiple geopolitical questions, it's merely switching to other dollar bonds - casting doubt about a more alarming strategic investment shift.
What China scaled back in exposure to Treasuries last year was more than compensated by a rise in purchases of U.S. agency debt, valuation-adjusted calculations from Federal Reserve economists Carol Bertaut and Ruth Judson show.
Taken as one bucket, China actually increased its combined exposure to U.S. government and quasi-government assets in 2022.
Fraying relations between the two superpowers over trade, Taiwan, tech and espionage, and Ukraine - and a real risk that Western sanctions on Russia's overseas reserve holdings after last year's invasion may act as a template for a military move on Taiwan - make the case for gradual Chinese divestment. But it's still hooked on dollars.
China's holdings of U.S. Treasuries last year shrank by $173.85 billion, Bertaut and Judson's figures show, the second-largest fall on record after the $189 billion slump in 2016, around the time of China's mini devaluation.
Beijing's stash of U.S. government bonds ended last year at $862.3 billion, the lowest since May, 2010, according to Refinitiv data.
Nothing beats local barter and physical/services exchange. The Digital Financial System is a minefield of psyops and knows no borders. The players are not only countries as much as Banking, Trade, Tech, Media and Security Institutions (Think CIA, MI6, Mossad and more). Most international institutions work for the manipulation of the Digital Currency. Think UN, NATO, WEF, BIS, WHO, etc. You get the picture. If you think belonging and supporting these institutions is the path to freedom, then your head is in the sand. Think local, think accountable, think freedom to choose, think uncensored, think a future that WE build, not THEM. Kman, editor, DIGILEAK News Not Noise
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--Get people talking about what you are doing.
--Use your advertising budget locally.
--Subtract the cost of your ArtWork as advertising.
--Watch people smile & laugh when “playing” with your “funny money”.
How to get started:
--Pay a small amount to a local artist for the ArtWork. Or make your own.
--Set aside an amount of cash to pay the “reward” for the return of the ArtWork. (You also may barter for the ArtWork with services or product.)
--Write or pay a writer to add:
1. Your business & slogan & offerings.
2. Your area of “good within ___miles of your place of business”.
3. Expiration date. Usually 3-6 months.
--Give your ArtWorks away.
1. You can only spend ArtWork other than your own.
2. Offer as a thank you to: Regulars, High pay customers, Bonuses &
Perks, Friends & Family, Lovers.
When the ArtWork is presented back to you
--Give cash or
--Give services or
--Give a product.
Keep gifting it out until closer to the expiration date.
_____________________
ARTIST instructions
1. You may
--Make your own ArtWork to advertise you and your business. OR
--Be commissioned to make ArtWork for someone else to advertise.
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3. If you create the ArtWork for yourself to advertise yourself:
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--You may take the cost of ArtWork off your income for advertising.
4. The Owner of the ArtWork must give/gift it away during the time period.
The WSJ article you linked to begins: "Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis." Does that really poke a hole in my theory?
Look at the chart. The selling began in late 2013, not 2010 as claimed in the 2011 NYT article. The article itself is from 2015. So the selling did not occur in 2010 as claimed. That doesn't poke any holes in your theory, it just suggests you examine your sources more closely before you publish. Unlike a potential adversary that would use that to discredit you, believe it or not, I'm actually trying to help.
So basically you agree with Trudeau... the Chinese are out to get us?
Let's see.... a nation that built itself up on cheap exports would definitely want to undermine their number one customer. Yeah, that makes sense. Of course to do so you'd want to put the profits from your trade surplus into US treasures because nothing defeats your enemy faster than supporting their bond market, right?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/246420/major-foreign-holders-of-us-treasury-debt/
As for reports of them divesting, well, the devil's in the details....
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/china-slips-away-treasuries-sticks-with-dollar-bonds-2023-02-22/
Granted they're heavily exposed and the US freezing Russian foreign reserves did somewhat undermine confidence, but where else can they go? The Euro? The Yen? Neither market is large enough to absorb their trade surplus. Now if Saudi Arabia can be persuaded to take Yuan instead of dollars for oil, then recycle those Yuan back into the Chinese bond market, you may have something, but it hasn't happened yet, and I suspect if they started down that road they'd end up like Iraq or Libya, both of whom tried to break away from dollar hegemony, which is why they got trashed and their leaders executed.
Now about this book, 'Unrestricted Warfare.' Let me first point out that every major military power has a plan to defeat their potential enemies. They'd be completely negligent if they didn't have one because that's what the military is supposed to do, prepare for war. That's what all these various exercises are about - preparing for war - but also demonstrating to your adversaries that you are prepared: Si vis pacem, para bellum. So nothing new there. Nothing new about Sun Tsu either. It's required reading at all military academies.
Now about the authors, Qiao Liang (乔良) and Wang Xiangsui (王湘穗).
Has anyone checked to see if they actually exist?
I find what Wikipedia (*) has to say about it very interesting.
"Taylor Fravel pointed out a common distortion in translation of the subtitle of the book. While it was translated and understood in the West by many as "China’s Master Plan to Destroy America", the actual subtitle was "Two Air Force Senior Colonels on Scenarios for War and the Operational Art in an Era of Globalization".[1]
This is also interesting:
The English translation of the book was first made available by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service in 1999.[5][2] The book was then published in English by a previously unknown Panamanian publisher, with the subtitle "China's Master Plan to Destroy America" and a picture of the burning World Trade Center on the cover.[12] A French translation was published in 2003.[13]
Foreign Broadcast Information Service? That's the CIA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Broadcast_Information_Service
"previously unknown Panamanian publisher" Also CIA.
I'd be very surprised if these two PLA colonels even exist. One thing about colonels: that's an operational rank. Colonels are not typically involved in strategic planning, and they definitely don't spill the beans about those plans, so I call shenanigans here.
(*) More than a few times I've seen people say "I don't trust Wikipedia and anyone who cites them is suspect" (meaning me). Wrong. Wikipedia is a valuable source of information, just not in the way most people imagine. Consider their article on neuro-linguistic programming.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming
Right out of the gate they call it 'pseudoscientific' as if that isn't a giant red flag telling you it's something they don't want you taking seriously. Probably because it's a key element in psychological warfare, and you wouldn't want just anyone to know that, right?
Wikipedia gives the game away constantly with their ham-fisted attacks on anything and anyone that doesn't support the current agenda. When I'm researching a topic, it's the first place I look, and I'm hardly ever disappointed.
Now read their write-up on Unrestricted Warfare. You see any skepticism there? Any doubts as to the source of the documents? They take this book as prima facie evidence of China's intent. And from a mere couple of Colonels, no less!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unrestricted_Warfare
As for James Rickards, once again Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Rickards
I must have seen dozens of these types of books over the 20 odd years I was a stock trader. Writing an alarmist screed is par for the course if you're trying to promote your investment business. It's even called 'talking your book.' That's not to say there aren't some very sharp minds in the investment business, but this guy ain't one of them.
Look, just take the position that nothing is ever quite what it seems. You're less likely to go wrong that way than taking things at face value. At least you could ask the question, Cui Bono? Who benefits from all this nonsense about China, Russia and Iran? Not you or me, that's for sure.
I've studied all three of our so-called adversaries, and what jumps out at me is how well they've dodged every attempt to derail them, and that they've each managed to advance their social well being enormously using three very different organizing principles. What that says to me is that almost any system of social organization has a decent chance of success if it has strong leadership dedicated to national sovereignty, and is economically and militarily powerful enough to resist the Global Hegemon.
That's what all the panic is about. The NWO boys have hit a BRIC wall. No need to make it any more complicated than that.
Cui Bono? Who benefits from China being the dominant military power in the world? Umm... is this a trick question? I'd say China, but that would be too obvious. The Jews?
Who say they are? I think we went over this before didn't we?
BTW, that's what you call a loaded question. Like have you stopped beating your wife yet?
Sorry, sometimes my sense of humour doesn't come across with words along.
Honestly, a lot of people seem to think that China is in the pocket of the Zionists because Henry Kissinger or something.
I don't see it, personally. Maybe there's something I'm missing, but I remain to be convinced.
I could be wrong. I'm aware I'm in the minority position here.
People think a lot of things about China, most of which are incorrect. They should talk to some Chinese people. Maybe visit China, see what's up.
China has a vastly different culture than the West. They've been around for thousands of years and have survived every catastrophe that's befallen them. We're the new kids on the block and we're going to tell them how to run their affairs? Take Taiwan for instance. Parliamentary system modelled on the British. Ever seen one of their sessions that turned into a punching match? Women slapping each other in the face? It's epic and very hilarious, but no way to run a country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8aZHxUap9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp32VLQyUf8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUn6T2BsQDY
Now compare:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQVMj6DFPm8
Chinese society operates on something called the Mandate of Heaven.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandate_of_Heaven
At the moment the Chinese Communist Party has that mandate, which everyone understands. If they fail in their mission, which is to protect and provide for the Chinese people, then they'll be replaced, which everyone also understands. We don't have anything like that in western society. The divine right of Kings is as close as we ever came, but that provided nothing for the common people. It's right in Xi's speech. Socialism with Chinese characteristics = Mandate of Heaven.
oh man those Taiwanese parliamentary videos are great... Thanks for sharing.
I know right? I wish our parliament was like that. Our PM needs a good bitch slap now and again.
That makes sense to me. As an anarchist, obviously I'm opposed to the authoritarianism of the Chinese state.
As an anti-imperialist, though... I definitely get it.
Obviously my "Hail to the Red Dawn" piece was laced with sarcasm, but I am genuinely glad that they have brought down the British Empire.
I just hope the Chinese don't decide to get vengeful... Canada's karma coming due won't be pretty. I know my history enough to know that...
Are Canadians due for our own Century of Humiliation? Well, that would be Old Testament justice, wouldn't it be?
As for your comment about Trudeau at the top... you're haven't been following the foreign interference inquiry, are you?
Look up Zhang Bin:
Mr. Zhang, a Chinese billionaire with a home in Quebec, was one of two figures behind a 2016 donation to the University of Montreal and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which CSIS suspected of being part of an influence operation to target Justin Trudeau. The foundation said it returned the money.
That was meant as a joke. Years ago Trudeau was heaping praise on China in some talk to university students. He liked the fact that they get things done without all the messy debate we have in parliament. Shows how little he knows of how Chinese politics work. Or maybe he was joking? Who knows? Who cares? The guy's a non-entity. As for China interfering in our elections, why should I believe that? The first rule of any investigator is 'consider the source.' I don't consider Canadian intelligence services, mainstream media or politicians to be reliable sources. Remember how Russia was supposed to have influence the US elections? That turned out to be BS, so why would you take this story seriously?
umm... because I've followed Canadian politics closely my entire life and it's clear that something weird is going on?
Like take the appointment of Senator Yuen Pah Woo...Does anyone know why Trudeau appointed this guy as to sit as an independent senator?
Back in the day Senator appointments were patronage positions... Liberals appointed Liberals and Conservatives appointed Conservatives... if there were independents, it was because they'd been kicked out of one of those caucuses for being involved in some scandal.
Listen, you can't deny that the evidence of Chinese interference is piling up. These are credible allegations we're talking about. Look into Michael Chan & Han Dong.
I'm always suspicious when a government accuses a foreign power of interfering in their domestic affairs. Seems more like a distraction meant to take our attention off something they're doing themselves. But let's say it's true, which is entirely possible since we do the same thing - maybe not with China, but definitely with Russia and Iran. If so, then what's the goal? What are the Chinese trying to achieve with such a risky strategy? More favourable trade terms? More opportunities to invest in Canada? What are they after?
I just don't see a motive, and I always look for a motive when someone accuses someone else of nefarious behaviour. In Canada's case we interfere grossly in the affairs of others, like sending arms to Ukraine for instance. So what's in it for China? Must be fairly big for them to take such risks no?
Call it a default assumption, but anything that comes out of the mouths of our current government, especially the PM I assume is a lie. Like Tony Montana said in Scarface, "I always tell the truth, even when I'm lying."
"If so, then what's the goal? What are the Chinese trying to achieve with such a risky strategy? More favourable trade terms? More opportunities to invest in Canada? What are they after?"
1. Resources (water, oil, gas, timber, minerals)
2. Deep water ports in Prince Rupert and Kitimat would be very useful in WWIII
3. Russia is planning to take control of the Northwest Passage and China is pursuing a joint military strategy with Russia.
4. Revenge for Opium Wars
5. B.C. is a major destination for Chinese criminals parking laundered cash
... should I keep going? Why does any empire dominant a weaker, resource-rich country? Because they can.
You're acting like this is hard to understand. It's not. People are in denial.
"5. B.C. is a major destination for Chinese criminals parking laundered cash"
Right, and who allowed that to happen?
I saw that whole sorry saga unfold from my perch in West Vancouver, starting with the turn over of Hong Kong. Oh those poor fellow capitalists! We must offer them sanctuary! (and think of all the money they'll bring in!). Was it any wonder what would happen if we put zero restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate (like they do almost everywhere else on the planet?) and then invite millions of Chinese to buy up everything in sight?
As always, Cui Bono? Friends and associates of our political class do you suppose? And to add insult to injury, ordinary Canadians start hating on the Chinese, as if they were the cause and not simply an effect. I lost track of the number of people I told to fuck off who had an axe to grind with the Chinese. How do you think all that affected Chinese Canadians who fled China in the 50's when the communists took over and arrived with just the shirts on their backs? My next door neighbour was one of them.
As for the criminal element, what would you expect? Open a fucking casino and who do you suppose is going to show up? How is that China's fault, except for the fact they were only too glad to be rid of them?
I lived in Vancouver for almost 40 years. I saw the whole thing unfold. Half our friends were Chinese when we lived there as were both our neighbours. I wish they'd come to Canada under better terms, but it is what it is. I don't blame them or the Chinese govt. for anything that happened. It's all on us. We let our political class get away with it because most Canadians are simply too lazy or stupid to take an interest in anything but Dancing with the Stars, or who's going to win the Stanley Cup. This is a nation of idiots if you haven't noticed. That a bunch of lawyers and real estate developers would take advantage of that is no real mystery, in fact it's a given.
"People are in denial."
I'd say it's you that's in denial. These are Neocon talking points, well #3 and #4 are. #1 is what everyone needs, so no surprise there. How you go about it is the main issue, so let's compare Russia and China's strategy to the US. We can leave out Russia because they already have everything they need, except maybe bananas and pineapples. China trades for what it needs. If you want to criticize their trade practices go ahead, but they haven't invaded Iraq, occupied Syria, destroyed Libya, attacked Serbia, threatened Iran, fostered a coup in Ukraine, sanctioned Russia and blown up a major pipeline that Germany was depending on, and that's not even mentioning decades of dirty wars in Latin America.... should I continue?
"China is pursuing a joint military strategy with Russia." OMG! How dare they! I thought only NATO was allowed to do that?
Revenge for the opium wars? I think China has more of a bone to pick with Japan, and yet Japan is the 3rd largest investor in China and China is Japan's largest trade partner.
Seriously man, what kind of leftist are you? You've clearly got a bee under your bonnet over China, but who put it there? Who have you been listening to?
C'mon brother. Join the revolution!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwg2Hpf4ta8
Look into the Foreign Investment Protection Act of 2012.
This?
https://ccbc.com/experts-corner/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-canada-china-fipa-for-canadian-investors-operating-in-china/
I don't see the problem. Incidentally, my father was involved in these kinds of trade agreements between Japan/Canada and Korea/Canada. That's where my family connection to Japan comes from. My parents and younger sister lived in Japan for over 10 years.
Okay, okay, I'll admit I'm still working on understanding things like bond markets and all that... but did you read the article all the way through? I believe Rickards addresses the bond question.
You mean this, where he quotes Marshal?
"China has over $3 trillion of investments denominated in U.S. dollars, and every 10 percent devaluation in the dollar engineered by the Fed represents a $300 billion real wealth transfer from China to the United States. It is not clear how long China will tolerate this raid on its accumulated wealth. If China were not able to defeat the United States in the air or on the sea, it could attack through capital markets."
All that shows is that Marshal doesn't understand anything about global bond markets. Marshal takes an investor's view of the bond market. Oh dear, how long can we take these paper losses?! The answer is as long as there's a bond market. China doesn't invest in US treasuries to make a profit. They already made a huge profit on trade and have nowhere to put it except the US bond market! China buys US bonds to support US purchasing power so they can buy Chinese goods. It's a circular arrangement. China's main concern is keeping over 1 billion people working, fed, housed and out of trouble - especially the kind of trouble that threatens the government and that is constantly being promoted by western NGOs and other agencies. The idea that they'd attack the US markets by dumping bonds is just ridiculous. They'd be cutting their own throats. Who's going to buy their stuff if the US sinks into depression? The fact that they're looking around the world for new trading partners in central Asia and Africa is simply evidence that they're afraid the US will collapse of it's own incompetence, corruption and psychotic hubris. They are in no rush to hasten that process, in fact it alarms them.
Then there's this:
"Approximately $60 trillion of wealth was destroyed from the peak in October 2007 to the trough in March 2009. If such a catastrophe could be caused by instruments as innocuous as mortgages,.... etc."
This show a stunning lack of understanding of what actually happened. There was nothing 'innocuous' about it. It was a massive fraud caused by banks securitizing mortgages. That is, instead of keeping the loans on their books, they bundled them into securities and sold them to investors, including mutual funds, pension funds and hedge funds. In effect they offloaded all the risk, which gave them zero incentive to stop doing that because it earned them massive risk free returns. The whole concept of credit worthiness went out the window and loans were being made to people who couldn't afford them, thus running up the cost of housing which lead to even larger mortgages with nothing backing them, rinse and repeat. It was the world's biggest Ponzi scheme since the South Seas Bubble.
All of that happened because the US Congress repealed the Glass Steagall act of 1933 which separated investment banking from commercial banking - the original cause of the 29 crash and following depression.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_legislation
I followed all this in great detail thanks to one of the world's best bond market analysts, Doug Noland, who saw the crash coming from miles away.
https://creditbubblebulletin.blogspot.com/
Unfortunately he was far too early and completely underestimated how far the bubble would run, but he was basically correct about the underlying causes.
Just to recap, if China starting dumping US bonds it would cause a run on the dollar which would destroy the value of any dollars they received from the sale, but before that got too far out of hand the US treasury would just print dollars and start buying their own bonds, thus putting a floor under the price. That may or may not work, depending on how serious the rest of the world viewed the situation and whether they had somewhere else to park their foreign reserves (such as gold) but the turmoil created would undermine every financial market in the world, including China's, and no one wants to see that happen. No that it can't or won't happen - I expect it will at some point, but that's too hard to predict. The only think I can say with any confidence is it won't be China triggering the event.
A lot to respond to there, and I was dropping a hint by mentioning that it was published by an "obscure Panamanian publisher"... I don't know if it was published by the C.I.A., but that right there should raise eyebrows... Panama's not exactly known for his thriving English-language publishing industry.
You don't address the more interesting thing - the fact that the cover showed the Twin Towers in flames a year before 9/11.
"You don't address the more interesting thing - the fact that the cover showed the Twin Towers in flames a year before 9/11."
This is what I mean by taking things at face value. Have you seen an actual copy of this book? If it exists do you know if it was actually printed in 2000, or was it reprinted later with a different cover? There's no way to know any of this, but the book is fishy to begin with, so why wouldn't they print it with a fake publishing date to keep the conspiracy enthusiasts busy?
okay, you got me there. Good point.
What we are experiencing is not what it seems at first. This is not a fight between two systems. There are aspects of it that are real, but they exist only to mask the deliberate destruction of the West by the Western Imperial Oligarchy. The people of the West must be diminished, enslaved or killed because these are the only people who could stand in the way of the final oligarchical move in their quest for planetary control - incorporating all other parts of the world. In order for this to happen they are engineering tensions, chaos, wars and they are deliberately destroying the existing political systems of the West, destroying economies, rapidly diminishing human rights. They are working on restricting energy supplies, food supplies, etc. They are injecting us with bio-weapons. The collapse of the monetary system is part of the overall strategy of destruction. Oligarchy feels they must burn their own domains to ashes, on which they intend to build their NWO, incorporating the oligarchies of the rest of the world. Oligarchy helped create Communism, and they’ve built up China for the same exact purpose. The Empire grows by synthesis of opposites. In order for this to work, they must create opposites.
This seems to be the dominant narrative in the Truth Movement. I'm not so sure. I could be wrong, but couldn't it be that China has masterfully outwitted the West by using the greed of capitalists against them? If so, wouldn't that be a masterful martial arts strategy?
Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm the only one in the Truth movement who's actually read Mao...
We will find out the truth if we live long enough to see the final outcome. Like I said, there are aspect of this which are true, but nothing China could have done would have resulted in this sort of destruction of the West. It could only have happened by active participation of the Western Oligarchy. How could have China made the West inject billions of its own people with a bio-weapon? China could not have engineered the war in Ukraine, a result of which was severing Europe from cheap Russian energy, destroying the economy of Europe. China did not come up with global warming psy-op which is providing rationale for all sorts of restrictions on energy, food, travel,… I can go on and on. What is happening cannot be explained by any enemy attack on us - regardless how smart and sophisticated they are. The West seemingly acts foolishly fascinated by short term goals, but the Oligarchy seems to have much longer goals. We just don’t seem to be aware of them. We can date the Oligarchy at least back to Venice, Genoa,…, which moved their banking center first to Holland, then to England, finally to the US in the 20th Century, and now they are ready for the final push Eastward. Each time the Oligarchy grew richer and with more control. The Great Britain was exhausted by the cost of her Empire and two World Wars, but the City of London was not replaced by the Wall Street. They are intending a similar outcome in their final move.
Russia and China aren’t building an alternative which can save us.
"Russia and China aren’t building an alternative which can save us."
They're not trying to save us, they're trying to save themselves and doing a fairly good job of it I would say. I wish we'd follow their example and look after our own people instead of trying to impose our will on the rest of the world.
Agreed about the last part.
Question: Do you know if China has ever engaged in "strategy of tension"-style attacks?
One of my biggest arguments for why I'd prefer the CCP to the Zionist-Anglo-Americans is that they don't engage in Gladio tactics.
Am I right?
Not in the Gladio sense I don't think, but they have their own internal problems of course, especially in the northwest with the Uighurs and of course Tibet, though that seems to have died down somewhat. It's hard to get reliable information on what's happening internally and western sources tend to exaggerate with the aim of discrediting China, but like all nations they do have their dark side.
I doubt they're committing genocide of the Uighurs, but they are trying to forcibly integrate them into Chinese society, which is what I believe the camps are about. The camp approach is not unique to Uighurs though, they use the same approach on their own criminal element - reeducation through labour - although I believe part of it includes skills training and instruction in Mandarin so they can find employment when released. Don't know how well that's working.
Internal migration is something they keep a close eye on. Minority people go to the cities looking for work, many of them without permits which is similar to the US migrant labour situation. They tend to cluster in areas which can be a source of problems, but again, information is sparse. When we were there we saw a lot of them around the railway stations offering to change money at twice the bank rate, which was tempting, but things were so cheap back then it wasn't worth the trouble. There was a two currency system back then, RMB for Chinese, and FEC for foreigners (foreign exchange certificates). Visitors were only supposed to use FECs, and there was a black market for them because you needed them to buy goods in the duty free shops, but we had no problem using RMBs, even the banks would change dollars for RMB which they weren't supposed to do. It was a strange time because a whole bunch of reforms had just come in and the country was opening up to tourism which meant you could travel around by yourself and not as part of a tour group. People still weren't sure how to deal with foreigners and outside of the hotels no one spoke English and all the signs were in Chinese. Fortunately my wife could read them, but everyone thought she was Chinese, which was strange because I learned some basic Mandarin but she didn't, so people were confused by that. I'd speak what little I knew and she'd write the characters, so we managed that way.
One thing that really stood out was how curious people were to see a western guy with what they took to be a Chinese wife. People constantly stared at us, one guy so hard that he fell off his bike...lol. Definitely one of the most interesting places I've visited, but all different now I'm sure, so I don't hold myself out as any kind of expert. You could live there for years and not understand what's going on, which is the case with many foreigners working there, mostly as English teachers. They tend to stay in their own ghettos and don't really mix too much.
One thing that really stood out and I think it's still true, is the sense of security you feel. China is probably one of the safest places on earth to travel and I've been in a few sketchy countries over the years where I had to constantly watch my back. The only other place where I felt that secure is Japan.
From travelling extensively in East Asia, and of course being married to a Japanese and thus part of her family, I've gained some insight into the way they view things and it's definitely different from us westerners. My brother married a Thai, so I have some exposure to that world as well. Can't say I'm all that keen on Thailand. Beautiful place and friendly people, but you do have to watch your back, and it's easy to get into trouble there. Given a choice I'd sooner live in Japan or China.
No, they are not trying to save us but too many of us seem to mistakenly believe this. China is in a similar position that the US was before it was taken over by the Globalist Oligarchy. American governing structures were, of course, oligarchical but they were fundamentally different than they are today. The Globalist Oligarchy did not rest until they took control of the US. This same Globalist Oligarchy is not resting until they absorb China in a similar fashion. It took two World Wars to exhaust the British Empire and for Globalist Empire to move its center of gravity to the US, the new hegemon. The US is now similarly exhausted, and the Globalist Oligarchy is looking for the final move. Will they succeed? We don’t know, but if they do, it will be similar to how they captured the US.
I don't really get this argument... it's not like the "Globalist Oligarchy" consists of a single monolithic cabal... I think it's better thought of like NYC's Mafia Commission (the Five Families)... why do people assume they have unified interests? At a certain point it will be every man for himself.
OK, think of it as a Mafia Commission with much more cohesion. This may change but so far, they have been pretty much on the same page. You would think that European Oligarchy would have distanced itself from the Core because European economy is clearly under attack. This, so far, clearly has not been the case. This does not mean this will remain so forever but the fact that it hasn’t already happened should tell us something. Globalist Oligarchical control and cohesion is much greater than the typical mobsters’ families.
"This same Globalist Oligarchy is not resting until they absorb China in a similar fashion."
Arguably they already tried in the 19th century, the era of foreign domination when viewed from the Chinese perspective. I believe that's why Communism was so successful in China - it drove out the foreign devils once and for all. This is a key point in Chinese national sentiment, comparable to how Russians feel about the 90's but it runs much deeper. In Russia's case you still have a 5th column (albeit weakened lately) that's aligned with western interests, but not so much in China. In Russia you can blend in, in China you stand out, so it's much harder to subvert them. Also their leadership has studied in great detail what happened to the USSR and have drawn important lessons from that.
I think the key element that binds China and Russia together is that they're both intent on defending their sovereignty, and that overrides the differences in the two systems, which are both essentially socialist anyway, with China moving cautiously towards something closer to what Russia already is. I see that combination as an impenetrable barrier to western domination, which is the source of all the western hysteria. They missed their chance with Russia thanks to Putin, who drove out most of the western backed oligarchs. I think the Great Game is still being run out of London, but they've failed in their global strategy, which was to dominate Russia and thereby weaken China. That's off the table now, which is the message of Ukraine when viewed in the broader context.
Russia and China are natural partners, not just in terms of defence but in mutually beneficial trade. China needs a reliable source of energy and new markets to replace a declining west, while Russia can benefit from Chinese manufactured goods and machine tools, replacing Germany and the EU as a supplier. Down the road I can see immigration between the two as well, probably starting with Russians taking Chinese wives. China's population has stabilized now, but Russia still has a demographic problem and needs to repopulate following the disaster of WWII. Chinese immigration can be a source of new blood as long as it's managed correctly, not in the free for all manner as it has been in Canada or the US, but in careful steps such that the new arrivals assimilate rather than forming subcultures. Further down the road I can see a special economic zone being established in the far east - something similar to Shenzen - where investment gets favourable treatment and the entire region is developed to the benefit of both nations.
Sorry if I went of on multiple tangents here. That tends to happen with subjects that I'm very interested in:)
Was the US engaging in these tactics while pursuing its own national development before it was itself captured. The answer is no! I am not equating China with the Empire. I am not cheering for the Empire. I also wish for all countries to extricate themselves from the imperial yoke. I also hope that China will withstand the pressure to fold into the Empire, but we must not be engaging in wishful thinking. Empire is relentlessly pursuing its goals.
The policy of tensions, conflicts and wars is the imperial policy. It is a recognizable pattern used repeatedly. That is how they’ve achieved total control of the West. Imperial Oligarchy has engaged in assassinations of leaders, state terrorism (Gladio) within their own domaim, until they achieved total control. We forget that they haven’t enjoyed total control before assassinating JFK, or in France during De Gaul, whom they’ve tried to assassinate multiple times. Today, the West is completely controlled. Empire gobbled up any vestiges of independence of its vassal states. They will not be happy until they control all remaining independent countries, and are doing everything possible to achieve this goal. In addition to creating tensions with Russia and China, they are also diminishing the capability of the people of their vassal states to rebel and mess up their imperial plans.
We can call the Empire what we want but we commit a cardinal error when we think Britain, and the US are anything more than vassal states themselves. They may be more important vassal states but they are vassal states nevertheless.
I had a copy of Mao's Little Read Book! No, that's not a typo...lol.
"In January 2011 The New York Times reported that China had been a net seller of U.S. Treasury securities in 2010 after years of being a net buyer. The Times report found this selling strange because China was still accumulating huge dollar reserves from its trade surpluses and was still buying dollars to manipulate the value of its currency. The implication was that China must still be a large buyer of Treasuries, even though official data showed otherwise. The Times noted that in 2010 Britain had emerged as the world’s largest purchaser of Treasury securities, and it inferred that China had “shifted purchases to accounts managed by British money managers.” In effect, China was using London bankers as a front operation to continue buying U.S. Treasury notes while Beijing officially reported that it was selling."
First rule: Consider the source. In this case the NY Times. US Govt. policy mouthpiece. Next look at the language: "....and it inferred that China had “shifted purchases to accounts managed by British money managers.” In effect, China was using London bankers as a front operation to continue buying U.S. Treasury notes while Beijing officially reported that it was selling."
From inference to statement of fact in one fell swoop.
Now let's look at the premise:
"In January 2011 The New York Times reported that China had been a net seller of U.S. Treasury securities in 2010 after years of being a net buyer.
ORLY? Look at the charts. You see any selling in 2010?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/once-the-biggest-buyer-china-starts-dumping-u-s-government-debt-1444196065
https://d1-invdn-com.akamaized.net/content/piced6c408a02d1f271798d9a7e783db9c0.jpg
I clearly gave the source of the information. I don't spoon-feed my readers. I trust my readers to decide what to make of the information I give them.
I agree that the New York Times is propaganda, but if I can't cite the NYT for financial information, who can I cite? Is the Wall Street Journal any better?
The WSJ article you linked to begins: "Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis."
Does that really poke a hole in my theory?
The long-term trend is that China is divesting from Treasury bonds. To me, it looks like a slow motion rug pull that's part of a military strategy that involves manipulation of financial markets, but hey, draw your own conclusions.
From a recent Reuters article:
Although China's selling of U.S. Treasury securities over the past year raises multiple geopolitical questions, it's merely switching to other dollar bonds - casting doubt about a more alarming strategic investment shift.
What China scaled back in exposure to Treasuries last year was more than compensated by a rise in purchases of U.S. agency debt, valuation-adjusted calculations from Federal Reserve economists Carol Bertaut and Ruth Judson show.
Taken as one bucket, China actually increased its combined exposure to U.S. government and quasi-government assets in 2022.
Fraying relations between the two superpowers over trade, Taiwan, tech and espionage, and Ukraine - and a real risk that Western sanctions on Russia's overseas reserve holdings after last year's invasion may act as a template for a military move on Taiwan - make the case for gradual Chinese divestment. But it's still hooked on dollars.
China's holdings of U.S. Treasuries last year shrank by $173.85 billion, Bertaut and Judson's figures show, the second-largest fall on record after the $189 billion slump in 2016, around the time of China's mini devaluation.
Beijing's stash of U.S. government bonds ended last year at $862.3 billion, the lowest since May, 2010, according to Refinitiv data.
Nothing beats local barter and physical/services exchange. The Digital Financial System is a minefield of psyops and knows no borders. The players are not only countries as much as Banking, Trade, Tech, Media and Security Institutions (Think CIA, MI6, Mossad and more). Most international institutions work for the manipulation of the Digital Currency. Think UN, NATO, WEF, BIS, WHO, etc. You get the picture. If you think belonging and supporting these institutions is the path to freedom, then your head is in the sand. Think local, think accountable, think freedom to choose, think uncensored, think a future that WE build, not THEM. Kman, editor, DIGILEAK News Not Noise
STEAL THIS IDEA!…PLEASE.
ART WORKS for COMMUNITY CURRENCY
K-TAW = Kindly-Tizing ArtWork :: a kind of funny money
ArtWork backed by community spirit of exchange
MISSION: We are artists banded together in partnership with businesses and community to exchange Art-Works in support of the local economy.
METHOD: Beyond permaculture currency. Barter. Banter. Build.
De-centralized. Organically local. Open Source. Bank on yourself.
PURPOSE: Dollar-sized ArtWorks used as advertising and gifted into the local economy. To be used by businesses and citizenry … to trade.
CONSUMER Instructions
1. Use ArtWork as you would cash for dinner, coffee, soda, tips, a massage, health care, child care, & more. Ask the community business if they take the ArtWork.
2. You may receive ArtWork in your change when buying a product locally, as a gift for a birthday, as a tip for a job well done, & more.
3. Closer to the expiration date (find date on the ArtWork), turn it back to the owner of the ArtWork and they will give you cash or more-than-equivalent services or products.
4. The more ArtWork is passed for exchange in the community before it is turned in, the more sustainable the community economy!
Get real…. Spend ArtWork…. Go local.
___________________
OWNER::BUSINESS instructions
Why use ArtWork as local exchange in Advertising:
--Get people talking about what you are doing.
--Use your advertising budget locally.
--Subtract the cost of your ArtWork as advertising.
--Watch people smile & laugh when “playing” with your “funny money”.
How to get started:
--Pay a small amount to a local artist for the ArtWork. Or make your own.
--Set aside an amount of cash to pay the “reward” for the return of the ArtWork. (You also may barter for the ArtWork with services or product.)
--Write or pay a writer to add:
1. Your business & slogan & offerings.
2. Your area of “good within ___miles of your place of business”.
3. Expiration date. Usually 3-6 months.
--Give your ArtWorks away.
1. You can only spend ArtWork other than your own.
2. Offer as a thank you to: Regulars, High pay customers, Bonuses &
Perks, Friends & Family, Lovers.
When the ArtWork is presented back to you
--Give cash or
--Give services or
--Give a product.
Keep gifting it out until closer to the expiration date.
_____________________
ARTIST instructions
1. You may
--Make your own ArtWork to advertise you and your business. OR
--Be commissioned to make ArtWork for someone else to advertise.
--Do one or the other because the Kindly-Tizing ArtWork is Open Source, meaning the ArtWork is not copyrighted. K-TAW believes in a gift society and a healthy local economy.
2. If you are commissioned to produce an ArtWork for someone else:
--You may sell your labor and supplies. Once a business, person, or a not-for-profit owns the ArtWork then the ArtWork totally belongs to them. They must set aside the “reward money” to exchange by the expiration date.
3. If you create the ArtWork for yourself to advertise yourself:
--You are the owner. When you own the ArtWork, you are the one who must set aside the “reward money” to exchange by the expiration date. The Owner must give ArtWork away as a gift to the community economy.
--You may take the cost of ArtWork off your income for advertising.
4. The Owner of the ArtWork must give/gift it away during the time period.
--Because if you sell the ArtWork, you
1. must pay taxes on the sale and
2. cannot deduct ArtWork as advertising.
5. ALL THE POINTS FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER APPLIES.