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screenshot of an open chat room named ‘Geojibang’ on KakaoTalk where users check each other’s spending habits. — The Korea Herald/Asia News
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The frugal type: Lunch at convenience store, bike rides and thrift shops
FOR every penny he spends that could have been saved, Kang Won-jin (not his real name) gets scolded online.
When he confessed to a spontaneous purchase of a 10,000 won (RM35.70) umbrella from a convenience store because of an unforeseen rain, he was told “No Starbucks for a week.”
Some remarked half-jokingly, “You should have used flyers or newspapers to cover your head.”
He willingly shares his daily expenses with them and embraces their nitpicking. It is his way of keeping his belt tightened.
The 25-year-old is part of an online community of young Koreans practicing frugal living via chatrooms called “geojibang,” which literally translates to “the beggars’ room.”
There, pseudonymous users check each other’s daily expenses and share saving tips and information on hot deals, including promotional events at local convenience stores or low-priced phone plans.
A search for “geojibang” on KakaoTalk’s open group chat section, returned more than 500 rooms, with diverse membership requirements based on gender or age.
One group, made up of about 360 job seekers in their 20s, had a slogan “extreme saving and meaningful spending.” Its rules stated that users are banned from posting pictures of “extravagant items” to prevent impulse buying.
Among the tips shared and widely encouraged by its seasoned members was to use public bikes instead of taking the bus or subway. Ordering food via delivery platforms is considered virtually sinful.
The influence of this new frugality can be found in various data.
According to NHN Data, apps for local low-priced coffee brands, convenience store chains and group buying platforms posted sharp growth in terms of the number of downloads during the first half of the year.
For instance, among the eight most popular shopping apps, five are for big discount deals, including Always, Tteorimall and Miss Discount, which recorded 115%, 65% and 24% growth in downloads, respectively, compared with October last year.
Sales of boxed lunches at the nation’s four major convenience stores during the first quarter soared 40% from a year earlier, industry data showed, despite restrictions on restaurant dining remaining in place during the period in 2022.
Runaway inflation, a sluggish economy, and a persistent slump in the job market collectively drive young people toward adopting a frugal lifestyle, but there’s more. Social media and online communication platforms are amplifying personal resolutions into a broader social trend, experts said.
“The presence of others reinforces a person’s will and performance on a task, known as the social facilitation effect,” explained Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University.
“Keeping habits of thrift is a challenging task, so people have created fun ways of doing it together. Geojibang incorporates elements of anonymity, real-time updates and communication, making frugality something fun and enjoyable,” Kwak said.
The extravagant type: high-end omakase, pricey desserts and exotic holidays
ON the opposite end of the spectrum, there are young Koreans who engage in conspicuous extravagance, whether or not it aligns with their means.
In Korean omakase restaurants – a high-end dining experience at restaurants where the chef offers one dish at a time – it is common to find young couples on a date. — 123rf.com
One of the most popular trends among big spenders is “omakase,” a traditional Japanese dining style where guests leave their menu choices up to a chef.
Literally meaning “I will leave it to you” in Japanese, omakase in Korea usually refers to a high-end dining experience at restaurants where the chef offers one dish at a time and introduces its name, ingredients and origin. An omakase-style dinner course is normally priced between 200,000-300,000 won (RM723-RM1,085) per person.
While in Japan guests at such establishments are typically affluent middle-aged individuals, in Korean omakase restaurants it is more common to find young couples on a date.
The number of diners specialising in omakase surged to 413 in January this year from about 100 in 2021, according to data from the Korea Foodservice Industry Research Institute.
Some people visit luxury hotels to indulge in expensive desserts.
Every summer, major luxury hotels introduce high-priced bingsu (shaved ice flakes) made with fresh fruits in season, priced at between 70,000-80,000 won (RM253-RM289) on average. No matter how expensive, there are always people who opt for a premium dessert experience.
On a recent Tuesday afternoon at a five-star hotel’s lounge for coffee, desserts or casual meals, visitors in twos and threes were helping themselves to apple mango bingsu priced at 126,000 won per plate.
“It is made up of high-end ingredients and tastes so good. Since it’s a seasonal menu item, I think it’s a price worth paying,” said a diner who wished to remain anonymous.
Some young Koreans love to visit luxury hotels to indulge in expensive desserts. — The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
For holidays and long weekends, these big spenders would hop on planes to exotic destinations, joining the post-Covid-19 travel rush.
According to data from the Korean e-commerce company Interpark, its sales of plane tickets amounted to 173.1 billion won (RM626.3mil) in April, up 144% on-year.
Kim Hyung-nam, who recently came back from a holiday in Osaka, Japan, said he was surprised to see so many young Koreans visiting the city. “Honestly, it almost felt as if I never left Korea.”
“For my next vacation, I am going somewhere far away.”
Local experts say the “shrinking middle class” is behind the current trend of polarised consumption.
“The impact of an economic downturn does not affect everyone equally, but rather tends to concentrate more on the low and middle-class households.
“As more middle-income families have fallen into the low-income class amid higher prices and declining real incomes, it appears that the culture of saving and frugality became more widespread than before,” said Kim Kwang-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Korean Economy and Industry.
“High earners who are less vulnerable to a decrease in net income will continue their existing consumption habits such as overseas travel and purchase of luxury goods, which further exacerbates the polarisation of consumption.” — The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
In the last decade, the US security elites seized power from Wall Street for greedily selling out American hegemonic interests. — Bloomberg
You can say that there is no clash of civilisations, but rather a clash of national praetorian guards who feel that their interests are being threatened, sometimes not just by foreign intrusion but also weak leaders who betray their interests.
EVERY empire has its grand historian to explain more its successes than failures. In 1776, when Adam Smith published his classic “Wealth of Nations”, British essayist Edward Gibbon (1737 to 1794) wrote an equally famous text, “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”.
The year 1776 was a historical turning point, when Britain lost her American colonies, even as she focused on conquering India 19 years after the 1757 victorious Battle of Plassey against the Mogul empire and their French allies.
Gibbon attributed the Roman fall to “four principle causes of the ruin of Rome, which continued to operate in a period of more than a thousand years. (I) The injuries of time and nature. (II) The hostile attacks of the Barbarians and the Christians. (III) The use and abuse of the materials. And (IV) The domestic quarrels of the Romans.”
His warnings apply even today, even though he was reminding the rising British elites what to look out for in the bid for Empire.
Interestingly, Chinese historians attribute dynastic decline and fall to “external invasion and internal troubles” .
Rome was built on conquest. Her Roman legions were legendary, but the elite core that defended consuls, procurators and emperors were the Praetorian Guard, who exercised the intelligence, logistics and national security functions of the Roman empire.
The Roman empire rose as the effectiveness of Roman military discipline and organisation overwhelmed all enemies.
The Praetorian Guard was the core staff between the consul, like Julius Caesar, and his legions.
They also supervised the intelligence functions, initially undertaken by the Frumentarii, involved in strategy, logistics, information couriers and negotiations with allies and enemies alike.
Within Rome, as the elite defending the capital, the Guardians later became king-makers, since weak emperors needed the military on their side.
They helped in assassination of at least one emperor and putting several others on the throne.
Fast forward to the First World War.
Amidst Europe’ ruinous self-destruction, German polymath Oscar Spengler (1880 to 1936) wrote The Decline of the West, positing that empires or civilisations have the same human biological cycle of birth, life and death.
He famously speculated that the West would enter into a crisis after two centuries of Caesarinspired concentration of power into one leader would lead to collapse of Western civilisation.
Indeed, he warned that the spread of Western technology to the “coloured races” would be used against the West. Sounds familiar? Spengler was discredited after the Second World War for being an inspiration behind Nazi expansion.
Thereafter, British historian Arnold Toynbee (1889 to 1975) 12-volume Studies in History gave Spengler fatalism an optimistic twist.
His study of 26 civilisations showed that empires can rise to historical challenges when their elites respond creatively with innovation and technology.
In other words, those elites, including emperors, presidents or political leaders who are guardians of empire integrity, can succeed to grow empires.
But when that elite becomes predatory through corruption and infighting, the empire or civilisation weakens and falls to a combination of internal collapse and foreign invasion.
Every nation has their own praetorian guard or cohort of agencies in defence, national security, intelligence and think tanks that safeguard the national interest.
A modern parallel would be the Washington blob (national security elite) that comprises the Pentagon, State Department, intelligence community and foreign affairs think tanks.
Former US President Eisenhower called it the “military industrial complex”.
Moscow’s praetorian guard is labelled the Kremlin.
Countries like China, Russia, India, France and Japan have their own praetorian elite, who consider their mission to safeguard national integrity against all enemies, including threats to their national identity, creed and values.
You can say that there is no clash of civilisations, but rather a clash of national praetorian guards who feel that their interests are being threatened, sometimes not just by foreign intrusion but also weak leaders who betray their interests.
In the last decade, the US security elites seized power from Wall Street for greedily selling out American hegemonic interests.
As chairman Mao said, “political power comes from the barrel of a gun”, meaning that those who have the military behind them beat those who don’t.
Hence, stable governments are those that are able to keep the military in their barracks.
Those who do not keep the military happy are vulnerable to coup d’etat.
But what if the praetorian guards’ interests are not aligned with those of the masses, who only want peace and stability, including better jobs, health and less government intervention?
In this age of confusion and distorted media, the masses are rightly worried whether their praetorian guards are looking after their interests or after their own?
This is reflected in recent serious loss of public trust in elites, which feeds the populist desire to have one of their own to oversee the elites.
Donald Trump has pitched himself in that populist category.
The more the blob tries to prevent him from returning as Presidential candidate, including his recent indictment, the more Trump’s supporters will hunker down in their belief that the praetorian elites are looking after their own skin.
Ancient history therefore tells us that empires decline if their elites are feeding at the trough at the expense of the masses.
They sometimes start wars to deflect anger against them towards anger against barbarians.
Are there parallels in the current age?
By Andrew Sheng andrew Sheng writes on global issues from an asian perspective. the views expressed here are the writer’s own.
In the fifth installment of this series, the Global Times looks into how this "bullying empire" tries to stamp the world's
internet with US rules and values, and its attempts to curb China's rise in the digital sphere, through various ...
KUALA LUMPUR: Describing it as the “biggest obstacle” for his ministry, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says there is an element of political patronage in online gambling activities in Malaysia.
“To say that online gambling in Malaysia is free from political patronage, people will laugh at it. So yes, there is indeed an element of political patronage.
“From there comes influence and protection, from there comes corruption and bribery (and) the lack of political will to fight this matter all the way.
“The players (gambling syndicates) are protected and (will) return the favour to their political masters who protect them so that no action will be taken,” he said when replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan (PH-Sungai Buloh) in the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
He added that this political patronage was the biggest obstacle for the ministry, the police and the government as a whole in their efforts to address the issue.
Saifuddin Nasution said the relevant laws need to be amended – such as the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and the Betting Act 1953 – to cover offences related to illegal online gaming platforms.
“It is now 2023 and the 1953 laws have never been amended,” he said, adding there had been efforts to make amendments to the Acts in 2019 but it was slow moving and thus unsuccessful.
Saifuddin Nasution said he will discuss the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as both laws are under the purview of the Finance Ministry.
He said amending the 70-year-old laws to cover online gambling will show that the authorities are determined to combat the menace.
“In 1953, gambling or betting only involved cockfighting, but now when the police want to take action, the authorities would lose the case.
“We are still using the same Acts.
“If the police take action and they (gamblers) challenge it in court, they will win (because) online gambling is not included in these two Acts.
“The highest penalty under the Act is RM50,000.
“This (penalty) is incompatible against the multibillion-ringgit online gambling industry,” he added.
Saifuddin Nasution also said the authorities have blocked around 2,119 online gambling websites from 2021 until May 2023, only for mirror sites to pop up to replace them.
Cardiovascular diseases hitting Malaysians at an earlier age
'The most common risk factors for CVDs are uncontrolled blood sugar
levels (diabetics), hypertension and high cholesterol
(hypercholestrolaemia' - Dr Wan Azman.
“It has been estimated that CVD-related deaths will reach approximately 31,000 cases annually by 2025 if no concrete measures are put in place to reduce CVD rates,” said Dr Wan Azman, adding that this would form about 55% of all non-communicable diseases related deaths in the country.
With the arrival of Covid-19 in Malaysia in 2020, CVDs still formed a substantial part of deaths, with ischaemic heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases combining to contribute 20.2% of deaths in 2022, as per the data from the Statistics Department.
“CVDs account for the largest share in costs for hospitalisation (47.77% or RM1.01bil) and medication (46% or RM792mil) compared to other non-communicable diseases, while resulting in annual productivity losses of approximately RM4bil,” said Dr Wan Azman.
He said the most common risk factors for CVDs are uncontrolled blood sugar levels (diabetics), hypertension and high cholesterol (hypercholestrolaemia)
While monitoring blood sugar and blood pressure are relatively straightforward things, monitoring one’s cholesterol level, especially levels of the “bad” cholesterol otherwise known as the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), has proven to be more challenging, for a variety of reasons.
A person with high cholesterol has no symptoms, he said, adding that a comprehensive blood test was the only way to detect it.
“What makes it more complicating is that while a person’s total cholesterol (combination of high-density lipoproteins and LDL) count may be fine, the percentage of LDL in the total cholesterol count may have breached risky levels,” added Dr Wan Azman.
Health Ministry family medicine specialist consultant Dr Sri Wahyu Taher who was another member of the panel at the event said blood pressure (BP) and blood sugar could be measured easily in public health clinics or general practitioners or at retail pharmacies.
“Checking for cholesterol is not as easy as there is a need to draw a blood sample from the vein to be tested in the laboratory,” she said.
Typically, LDL testing are part of a lipid panel test (that measures total cholesterol, breakdown between HDL and LDL, as well as triglycerides) that are done in comprehensive health screenings.
The challenge includes disseminating information that cholesterol screening is readily available even at government health clinics.
“It is not necessary for a person to go to the hospital to get a cholesterol test done,” added Dr Sri Wahyu.
PETALING JAYA: As many as 85% of Malaysians claim that their level of knowledge of cholesterol-related issues ranges from “average to good,” according to a recent survey.
The State of Health of the Nation perception survey conducted online nationwide in December 2022, was designed to be representative of the overall population by location, gender, and race.
Conducted by The Green Zebras on behalf of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Novartis, a pharmaceutical company, the survey polled 500 Malaysians aged between 40 and 64 years.
The not-so-good news is that cholesterol myths are still prevalent, with 75% saying there would be symptoms if a person has high cholesterol, which is untrue.
In a statement, MMA said the survey also found other misconceptions about cholesterol, such as that cholesterol could be managed through a change in lifestyle (92%), while only 40% believe that cholesterol could only be controlled with medication.
Slightly more than half (56%) of the respondents aged from 40 to 60 assumed that cholesterol testing was needed at least every five years or more frequently, and 49% disagreed that someone within a healthy weight range could actually have unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Despite these misconceptions, most Malaysians (89%) are aware that poorly managed high cholesterol levels could lead to severe diseases such as cardiovascular diseases that include stroke and heart problems, with 84% of the respondents wishing for easier ways to manage high cholesterol.
MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said while the response in the survey showed that Malaysians claimed to be well-informed on cholesterol, there were some fallacies in their sentiments.
He said there were no symptoms for high cholesterol and that a blood test was the only way to detect it.
The recommended cholesterol screenings for adults between 45 to 65 years are every one to two years and should be done annually for those above 65, he added.
“Therefore, taking charge of your health and doing regular health screenings is relatively important. Do not wait to visit the doctor when you feel unhealthy or unwell, everything may be too late.
“I strongly advise them not to rely on health-related information from friends, family, and social media only as these are often skewed through the sharing process,” he said in a statement.
Mohamed ElWakil, country president of Novartis Malaysia, said many people were unaware that cholesterol was one of the silent killers, along with high blood pressure and diabetes.
“There are no obvious symptoms. However, cholesterol can be managed if it is detected early.
“Following the doctor’s recommended treatment plan and lifestyle changes may help prevent severe heart-related problems.
“In fact, there are now easier and more convenient treatment plans available. Patients should actively seek the best treatment options from their doctors.””
GEORGE TOWN: Unhealthy lifestyles have led to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart attack and stroke, at a younger age.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) family medicine specialist Dr Mastura Mohd Sopian said CVD among young people is mainly caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as bad cholesterol.
“CVD is the leading cause for morbidity and mortality globally and Malaysians are not spared from it,” she said.
Aside from poor dietary habits, she said a largely sedentary lifestyle and stress have added to the increase in CVD and metabolic diseases.
“Too much fast food and processed food, which are cheaply available, are among the main reasons the younger generation has become more prone to these diseases,” she added.
The medical lecturer said to combat these diseases, prevention was better than cure.
Dr Mastura urged people to stick to healthy diets, and for those who smoke, to kick the habit.
She said one must move more and exercise often – as much as 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day or at least three days a week.
“We should all learn how to manage our stress, seek help and advice when needed and see the doctor yearly for a health screening,” she said, adding that getting six to eight hours of sleep each night was vital.
For those dealing with diabetes or other non-communicable diseases (NCD), Dr Mastura said these healthy habits were necessary to manage their condition.
She said the greatest visible indicator of being at risk of CVD was being overweight or worse, obese.
Public health expert Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said too much food consumed by Malaysians now were laden with saturated and even trans fats.
This, he said, were among factors causing Malaysians, especially the younger generation, to be at risk of CVD.
Dr Zainal said it was important to maintain a healthy balance of cholesterol in the body by limiting their intake of saturated and trans fats.
LDL is the type of cholesterol that can cause build-ups and blockages in arteries that can lead to heart diseases and strokes.
As agreed upon by both China and the US, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China from June 18 to 19, the Chinese Foreign
Ministry said on Wednesday.
Current atmosphere between China and the US is very bad, how to avoid miscalculations and conflicts?
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Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang speaks with Blinken, clarifying China’s stance on core concerns including Taiwan question
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday at the latter’s request, clarifying China's firm stance on core concerns such as the Taiwan question, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Qin pointed out that since the beginning of the year, China-US relations have faced new difficulties and challenges, and the responsibility is clear. China has always viewed and handled China-US relations following the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Qin clarified China's firm stance on core concerns such as the Taiwan question, emphasizing that the US should respect it, stop interfering in China's internal affairs, and stop harming China's sovereign security and development interests in the name of competition.
The Chinese diplomat said he hopes that the US will take practical actions to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state at the G20 Bali meeting and the relevant commitments made by the US, move toward China, effectively manage differences, promote exchanges and cooperation, and get China-US relations back on track to healthy and stable development.
Washington continued hyping China-related topics ahead of a reported trip by Blinken to China as the Biden administration said it has "taken diplomatic steps" that slowed China's intelligence presence overseas following its recent hype over an alleged "Cuba spy base." The latest US move was criticized by China on Tuesday as "taking the same page" of the US' playbook.
Hype over China-related topics 'taking the same page' from Washington's playbook
Cartoon: Carlos Latuff
Washington continued hyping China-related topics ahead of a reported trip by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China as the Biden administration said it has "taken diplomatic steps" that slowed China's intelligence presence overseas following its recent hype over an alleged "Cuba spy base." The latest US move was criticized by China on Tuesday as "taking the same page" of the US' playbook.
Chinese experts also warned that the senior US official may use this trip and some topics of concern as a bargaining chip while continuing to hype the so-called China threat. Considering the recent words and deeds emanating from the US side, the trip, if it happens, would be ill-intentioned, some experts said. They said they believe there is a strong opposition force within Washington against the possible improvement of US-China relations, as any positive signs could make the Biden administration appear to be too soft.
The Biden administration has taken "diplomatic steps" that have slowed down a Chinese effort to "project military power" around the world, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, as the Reuters reported.
Washington's top diplomat was asked at a press conference about Washington's response to a Wall Street Journal report last week that cited US officials as saying a new "spying effort" was underway on Cuba, according to the media report.
China has already refuted the US' groundless accusations that China uses a secret base in Cuba to spy on the US. And some Chinese experts warned that the US' groundless accusations could become another "spy balloon incident" that may once again drag on Washington's plan to reengage with China.
"I've stated China's position on similar questions several times. The US has been taking the same page from its playbook and people are already quite familiar with it," Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a routine press conference on Tuesday.
We hope the US will take a hard look at itself, stop propagating rumors and smears, and stop being a champion of hacking with its indiscriminate surveillance on other countries, Wang said.
Despite both the National Security Council spokesperson and Pentagon press official had said that reports about the so-called spy base in Cuba are inaccurate, senior US officials, congressmen and media continue to fuel the speculation, showing their malicious intent, Ma Hui, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba, told the Global Times on late Tuesday.
“The US’ claim that China is committed to expanding its military presence globally is a complete misrepresentation,” Ma said.
In the eyes of Chinese experts, there has been a growing contradiction between the US' actions and the continual signals it sends indicating a desire for engagement with China, which only fuels more doubts about the US' sincerity and its true intention.
"Blinken may include some of topics of concern in the visit and use it to continue hyping the 'threat of China,' this indicates the visit would be ill-intentioned," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Whether the trip could be realized or not, it won't slow down the US containment against China, and although Washington claimed to have tried to seek communication with China, its true intention is smearing and suppressing China, Li said.
On Monday, the US Commerce Department announced to put 43 entities into its so-called Entity List, including 31 Chinese entities as it restricted exports to entities that it says recruited Western pilots to train Chinese military personnel and help develop hypersonic weapons.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed the US act on Tuesday, saying that the US abused state power to go after Chinese companies, trampled on international trade order and global trade rules and destabilized global industrial and supply chains hysterically by all kinds of means.
Besides targeting the Chinese companies, the US continued hyping the Taiwan question, as some US media reported on Monday that the US government is preparing "evacuation plans" for American citizens living in Taiwan due to concerns over the escalation of the situation in the Taiwan Straits.
Before the US started its recent push to engage with China, there have been "some little tricks," making others doubt its credibility, and they are likely to leverage those topics as bargaining chips in talks with China, Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
“The US should cherish a possible positive trend for the US-China engagement and not waste any goodwill to stabilize bilateral relations,” Diao said.
If China does not help the United States, the United States will once again experience the 2008 financial crisis.
If
the United States extends its financial crisis to other countries, they
will allow the United States to become a second-rate country.
The
United States relies on alliances to suppress other non alliance
countries. When the United States cannot meet the interests of alliance
countries, other countries will begin to unite to suppress the United
States.
The
EU economy has been basically stagnant since 2008, and the
proliferation of the US dollar and inflation will make American allies
believe that the United States cannot become the appropriate leader.
The Middle East, Latin America, and Africa will not trust the United States. These places have had enough of the United States.
Eastern
Europe believes more in Russia, Southeast Asia believes more in China,
and South Asia believes less in the United States.
The
U.S. manufacturing industry only accounts for 10% of GDP, and the U.S.
cannot produce enough goods to supply 300 million people.
If the United States wants to regain control of manufacturing, it must have started preparations at least 20 years ago.
The scale of China's manufacturing industry is equal to the sum of the United States + the European Union.
Latin
America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa, these
countries exchange raw materials for euros and dollars.
The
currencies of the European Union and North America depreciated,
resulting in these countries being unable to exchange more goods.
What people in most countries of the world want is a normal life.
Ordinary people in these countries find that the harder they work, the less Western goods they get.
The western model cannot provide normal life for other countries.
If you remove the US medical and lawyer GDP, you will find that China's GDP is stronger than that of the US.
Legal
fees, rent, and medical care, these three are cancer cells, and they
eat up a large number of savings of ordinary Americans.
The
price is that the life expectancy of Americans is lower than that of
China, and there are more homeless people in the United States than in
China, and the endless lawsuits intensify social internal friction.
Therefore,
I said that the problems in the United States are self-inflicted, but
no leader in the United States will solve the problems in the United
States, and many interest groups will hinder the reform of the United
States.
The recent talks between China and the United States surprised the world even more than the last meeting in Alaska, and shocked the United States even more. Because in this meeting for the first time, China has completely, systematically and sharply denounced the anti-China behavior of the United States, and issued a list of correcting the wrong policies, words and deeds of the United States, as well as individual cases that China cares about and should be corrected. This is a diplomacy that the United States has never encountered an opponent. Because the United States has dominated the world for more than a hundred years. It has successively defeated competitors such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and the Soviet Union, and maintained its position as the head of the global village. It can be said that there has never been a country that has issued a list and drawn red lines for the United States like China. Before that, only the United States had this kind of attutude to others.
Yes, on earth, in the eyes of the United States, there are mainly six types of countries. The first category is allies, such as Israel, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia, etc.;
The second category is occupied countries, such as Japan and South Korea;
The third category is quasi-allies, such as some countries in Europe, the Philippines in Asia, South Africa in Africa, and Brazil in the Americas.
The fourth category is countries with strategic cooperation, such as Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Egypt, etc.;
The fifth category is some weak countries that can be bullied by it at will;
The sixth category is countries that are hostile to the United States, but their overall strength is indeed far behind, such as Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and other countries.
These five types of countries can only rely on, flatter, deal with, or succumb to the diplomatic pressure of the United States. The only exceptions are Russia and China. Relying on its strategic weapons and military strength, Russia often confronts the United States tit for tat, but it has never directly reprimanded the Americans diplomatically. China, on the other hand, has a comprehensive ability to resist pressure due to the enhancement of its political, military, economic, technological and other comprehensive strengths. It is also the first country to directly reprimand Americans on diplomatic occasions and draw red lines for Americans.
Americans are very shocked. All the elites in Washington these days are realizing the significance of China's actions.
This time China has created six unprecedences.
The first is that Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng has systematically and completely reprimanded the Americans, which is unprecedented.
The second is to publish the complete critical speech of the Chinese before the Americans, without saying a single word of the other party's speech, which is unprecedented.
The third is to directly issue a list of questions for Americans to correct their mistakes, which is unprecedented.
The fourth is the refusal to discuss the American list of problems, and the refusal to discuss cooperation without the United States correcting its mistakes, which is unprecedented.
The fifth is to directly deny the United States' definition of Sino-US relations, which is unprecedented.
The sixth is to directly draw the bottom line for Americans to improve Sino-US relations, which is unprecedented.
The three bottom lines drawn by Foreign Minister Wang Yi are almost impossible for the United States to abide by. This also means that from now on China will not intend to unilaterally tolerate and improve bilateral relations when the Americans insist on going their own way.
Wang Yi said:
First, the United States must not challenge, slander, or even try to subvert the path and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This is the core interest that China must uphold.
Second, the United States must not try to obstruct or even interrupt China's development process. China urges the U.S. to lift all unilateral sanctions, high tariffs, long-arm jurisdiction and technology blockade imposed on China as soon as possible.
Third, the United States must not violate the sovereignty of China's national sovereignty, let alone undermine China's territorial integrity. It is not allowed to damage China's sovereignty on issues such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. As for the Taiwan issue, it is even more important.
If the "Taiwan independence" dares to provoke, China has the right to take any necessary measures to stop it. We urge the US side to honor its commitments and act with caution on the Taiwan issue.
As long as you take a serious look at these three bottom lines, you can see that Americans may never abide by these three bottom lines. If China dares to draw them, it shows that China is determined to fight the United States to the end this time. Either the United States will change its course and China-US relations will be on the right track, or China will not hesitate to show its sword and show its cards to force the Americans to submit to these major issues.
In a word, the United States must not deliberately try to bring China down, destroy China, and mess up China. This is a high-tension line. It would be impossible for the US to insist on these three activities while pretending to cooperate with us. Everyone says that diplomacy needs the backing of strength. China is the first to formally teach the United States a lesson, put forward a list of mistakes to correct, and clearly draw the bottom line.
What is the confidence? I gathered three recognitions.
First. The Chinese people's support for the leadership of the Communist Party and their recognition of the country's system and path have reached an unprecedented high level.
The Chinese people have never had before as they do today such a clear understanding of the ugly nature of imperialism and capitalism, and the ugly faces of those hideous people who cooperate with each other from the inside and the outside.
This is where China has the most confidence.
The second is that after 70 years of rapid development, China has made great progress in the fields of politics, economy, culture, finance, science and technology, military affairs, and diplomacy. It has become the second strongest country in terms of comprehensive strength. From the perspective of development momentum, it is entirely possible to become a superpower that surpasses the United States in about 20 years. Tomorrow I will analyze that.
China is not afraid of the so-called comprehensive decoupling between China and the United States.
The third and most important one is that China already has a very specific and realistic nuclear strike capability. This is a capability that the United States is particularly afraid of and dreads. Russian President Vladimir Putin once said that if Russia does not exist, then the world is meaningless to us.
What he meant was that if someone was going to destroy Russia, Russia was going to destroy the world. This is why a country whose GDP is only at the level of Guangdong Province in China, and whose economic scale is smaller than that of South Korea, is feared by Americans. Because Russia have the ability to destroy America more than once. If the United States and Russia start a nuclear war, they will definitely destroy themselves.
In fact, today's China, the United States is very clear, already has the actual nuclear capability to destroy the United States.
My country's latest Dongfeng 41 intercontinental missile is currently the most advanced in the world. Its performance has surpassed the American Minuteman 3 and Russia's Topol M, with a range of up to 15,000 kilometers. It can carry more than a dozen nuclear warheads with variable orbits, and the nuclear equivalent is equivalent to 23 atomic bombs that bombed Nagasaki Hiroshima. Under such nuclear missile attacks, it is difficult for a country to survive. The most terrible thing is that Dongfeng 41 is mobile and all-weather, that is to say, it can be launched from any place at any time, This ensures that China has a reliable second-strike nuclear capability. Because such a mobile missile cannot be completely destroyed in the first round of nuclear strikes. Therefore, from now on, the Americans will never dare to have any fluke mentality to start a war with China. What's more, China also has the submarine-launched nuclear missile Julang-3, which also has a range of more than 15,000 kilometers. It is also a multi-warhead nuclear bomb and is also a highly mobile strategic weapon. Julang 3 only needs to be in the inner sea of Bohai Sea to complete the launch. Land-based and sea-based also have mobile long-range nuclear strike capabilities. If you have such an advanced dog-beating stick in your hand, you will certainly have the confidence to see any vicious dog.
Friends, the Americans have also created an unprecedented situation this time. After the Chinese reprimanded Sherman and his party, the arrogance of the Americans disappeared in the second half of the negotiations.
On the contrary, in the face of the unprecedented tough attitude of the Chinese, the Americans at the scene, the spokesperson of the US State Department, the US President and the Secretary of State all expressed one meaning, that is, the US does not seek confrontation and conflict with China.
Listen. China for many years was relatively weak. This is a concept that has repeatedly declared for many years.
Now, whenever China and the United States draw their swords to counter each other, they will probably say something like this. This is also unprecedented.
Why? This is because China's strategic nuclear weapons are becoming more and more powerful, and Americans are very afraid. So I emphasize again that Americans should never even think about going to war with China.
希望每一個中國人都能把這篇愛國文章轉出去，讓我們的中國變得越來越強大，支持所有愛國團體。
I hope that every Chinese can forward this patriotic article to make our China stronger and stronger and support, all patriotic groups.
US' evacuation plan for American citizens on Taiwan island shows it has made calculations to abandon the island at any time
after turning it into a "minefield" and "ammunition depot" through continuous provocations and arm sales, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for
the Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council, said on Monday
US 'preparing to evacuate Americans in Taiwan' as China tensions boil over
The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed regret on Tuesday for the remarks made by the South Korean President and the South Korean
media reports on the Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming, saying that they are inconsistent with the facts and even involve
personal attacks.
Attacking the Chinese ambassador will only bring disgrace to South Korean diplomacy and expose its shortcomings. Only by
correcting its attitude toward China, can Seoul avoid being "overly sensitive" and constantly proving its petty mind like a small country.
