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RE: How did you make the CATIC connection ??

Posted by RGA (R) on June 30, 2020 at 08:58:30

In Reply to: How did you make the CATIC connection ?? posted by AbeCollins on June 30, 2020 at 07:57:45:

Here's how this works - There is this thing called the ISO 9000 series of quality standards.

Many Chinese companies were horrific in meeting these standards. To be fare there are reasons governments oversee things that relate to public safety because companies only give a damn about making money - they will take a dollar over a life any day - you can't trust them. The government serves as an independent check. The USA has things like the FDA as some sort of safeguard for the consumers and CE to test electronics so they don't burn the house down.

Companies in China were producing products that killed people - melamine in baby milk killed babies. Toxic paint in products shipped to the US that hurt Americans. China trying to be capitalist without any checks or balances.

So they have stepped in across a large number of companies where there could be major safety issues especially on exports (either they did this of their own volition or other countries pressured them I don't know).

Regardless - the government has cracked down hard on these companies - they also cracked down hard on money laundering in Macau and cleaned up the corruption dramatically.

China and Hong Kong are a more difficult issue. Hong Kong wants a western style democracy but they never had this under the British. Britain chose the leader - Hongkongers never got to vote. Hong Kong was a 99 year lease for Britain. Hong Kong was given back to China in 1997. There was a promise made that for 50 years - Hong Kong would continue to operate under a 1 country 2 systems set up with a 2047 date being the year that China fully takes over HK and it becomes 1 country and 1 system and that 1 system would be the Chinese system.

Hongkongers of course have a totally different society, culture and language than the rest of China. Hong Kong has more freedoms like freedom of the press and basically was England-Lite.

China has slowly been "re-taking" Hong Kong. They have added Chinese Language (Mandarin) and Chinese version of history to the curriculum. They have placed pro-Beijing managers and principals in schools and other areas to inch by inch move HK closer to Chinese rules and values. As HK becomes less of a financial stronghold it makes HK easier to take-over.

I mean I don't think any of this is surprising - it's not like China would wait until January 1 2047 and flip the switch. Of course they're going to try and move slowly in increments to get HK under control of Beijing.

That is why so many Hong Kongers fled in 1997 - they moved to Canada the US, Europe etc and all of those countries are always happy to give visas to millionaires and billionaires - it's a boost to the economies.

And there will be another exodus when more freedoms are taken away. The only ways to escape are if you have lots of money (other countries want that) and if you are highly educated in fields that other countries generally need - engineers, doctors, scientists etc. I have no doubt that they push kids so hard so they have a chance to flee.

Still, I lived in mainland China for a year and I have traveled to places like Thailand. I never felt "oppressed" in China other than internet issues where western sites were blocked. But They have all sorts of ways around that and I always managed to get Facebook and Google.

The day to day living is the same - people open businesses they try to make money to feed their kids. There are rich people and poor people and good cities and lousy cities. You go out to bars and restaurants and nightclubs and you could get your Big Mac and Papa Johns and Pizza Hut. Just like Thailand or Singapore etc. In Thailand you can't say anything bad about the King. In China you can't complain too much about the government - though you can.

Hong Kong's previous Chief Executive was against universal suffrage because he didn't want "poor people" to be able to vote. It didn't go down well but here is the thing. Hong Kong has only one thing going for it - a financial hub. It is ultra capitalist - money money money. No import duties or taxes - very low income tax - and a place to make and save money.

If poor people get to choose leaders - that ends. Taxes will triple to pay for all the things the poor want. It will no longer be a financial hub and the housing market which props up the city will diminish as investors and the rich leave.

So they are basically stuck. If they give in to the protestors HK will crumble into the abyss. The protestors don't want to be ruled with an iron fist so they're right in what they want - Mainland China has to stop the continuous protests which drag down the economy - but the only way to stop protests is to physically go in and stop them. The HK police don't have the manpower nor the jails to put any of them. And it's tough to get violent with 16 year old girls so the will to hurt mostly young people isn't really there.

On the one hand I agree with Andy43 but you know a Chinese family also needs to eat. They go to work to make amplifiers and get paid. So if the company gets boycotted they starve. They are at the mercy of a government they can't change. Thus boycotting Chinese goods really only hurts the poor slob who is trying to feed his family. It doesn't hurt the Chinese government.

That's one reason I hate wars and even sanctions - a sanction on Iran for example isn't making ANYONE in the leadership hurt. They aren't missing any meals - they're still eating Steak and Lobster with gold utensils. It just screws the the average powerless worker to make him choose between rent or food.

So people want to "Get China" somehow but you're not getting the people you want to get - you are hurting the average Joan/Joe who is the same as you but trapped inside different border. These poor slobs get pooped on because of the decision by a powerful elite.

Edits: 06/30/20

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