Here comes China

The West needs $20 billion and decades to develop a supply chain for processing gallium and germanium — far more than the trade value of the two elements. Even then, achieving costs comparable to China’s will prove challenging. Read full article →

USA and China approach AI differently. The trillion-dollar valuations of American AI companies come from consumer entertainment, while China uses AI to inspect parts on conveyor belts, check coal face bins for foreign objects, detect anomalies in machines, pick containers out of ships and place them on autonomous trucks.. China’s plan to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the application of AI to production, logistics, and services—appears to be on track and on schedule. Read full article →

Domestic MRI machines half cost of German units, sharper images, slash’ fees. Shenzhen’s Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) also developed ultrasound elastography for early screening of liver and breast diseases and begun clinical trials on ultrasound neuromodulation devices to treat Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s. Read article →

China’s primary cancer prevention system has improved patients’ 5-year survival rate by 10% since 2014. The five-year survival rate is currently 40%, vs. the 2030 target of 47%. Read article →

Constructing the 84-mile, $10.3 billion Pinglu Canal, China’s first major waterway in 700 years, will save 400 miles travel for ships in the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River to reach the ocean. It will open up water transport for trade with ASEAN, enhance the transportation capacity and efficiency of the new western land-sea channel, reduce social transportation costs in Southwest China, and promote the optimization of industrial layout along the route and the formation of a canal. The Canal Project can provide water security for the irrigation areas along the line, promote the integrated development of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasslands along the line, enhance  flood control capacity of cities and towns along the line, and improve the resilience of the regional transportation network system; in terms of ecological benefits, it will lead the transportation industry to structurally reduce emissions and improve river channels. Self-purification ability and environmental capacity, improve the regional ecological environment. Read article →

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Kissinger went to China “under his own volition, not acting on behalf of the US government.” Added White House Spokesperson John Kirby, “It’s unfortunate that a private citizen can meet with the defense minister and have a communication and the US can’t.” FM Wang Yi told Kissinger, “President Joe Biden has made the ‘five no’s’ commitment (i.e., not seek a ‘new Cold War,’ not seek to change China’s system, the revitalization of its alliances is not against China, not support ‘Taiwan independence,’ not look for conflict with China), but what the U.S. has done has run in the opposite direction”. Read more →

China’s Coastguard, the CCG, has 157 large vessels, making it the world’s biggest maritime law enforcement agency. Over the years CCG ships have become larger and increasingly heavily armed. Type 054A frigates are now being repurposed for CCG service as Type 054B production ramps up.  Read more →

Whilst naval experts may well be right that the US would “win” a fleet to fleet contest on the high seas, there is no reason to suppose that the Chinese would oblige them with such a scenario. And “winning” is extremely relative as a concept. For example, it is hard to see the American public being prepared to tolerate the loss of a single aircraft carrier to “defend” Taiwan, let alone two or three. History suggests that bring prepared to go to war is one thing, but a willingness to tolerate significant casualties is quite another. A large part of today’s collective western political ego anyway comes from a sense of impunity and invulnerability. But such feelings are brittle (not to mention unrealistic anyway) and the political consequences of the end of such a delusion are likely to be profound. Read more →

Longer Read

Why is China many steps ahead of India in everything?

There are so many things you could talk about, beginning with the Democracy, Corruption, Rabble dominated elections, Inefficient Leadership, Disjointed Leadership, Poorer Quality of Education, Reservations etc etc. You could end up publishing a 700 Page Book on this. To summarize why China is so ahead in everything however requires just two words:

Decision Making & Accountability

China is divided into provinces and each Province has a Provincial Committee.

This Committee controls activities like Commerce, Agriculture, Industry, Education, Water Supply for the entire province, the villages and even the Cities within them.

Each Committee has a Sub committee consisting of Specialists. The Education Sub committee has Teachers and Education Experts most of whom have Degrees from Australia or Singapore or US or UK. The Industrial Sub Committee have experts on Industrial Production etc. No Political Hacks in the Sub Committee (Only in the Committees).

Sub Committees have extraordinary powers.

They can make decisions in hours. They can offer a subsidy of 30% on a crop in 4 hours after a single meeting if 2/3 of the Sub Committee members agree. Even the Main Committee cannot oppose a Sub Committee decision unless 100% of the Committee members are opposed (Even one single person saying OK will ensure that the decisions go through).

A Sub Committee in a Chinese Province took the decision to Liquidate 36000 Swine (Pigs) to prevent an outbreak of Swine Flu in 2015. The Decision was implemented in 3–4 hours and the Swine Farmers were compensated with Money or Stock Animals. All decided by the Sub committee. Beijing was informed of this only a few days later.

This is Decision Making Power

A Sub Committee can decide to clear out a Village in 42 days to accommodate a Manufacturing Plant and the Local CCP officials have to comply (The Party Hacks). They cannot object or write to Xi Jingping (Unless Xi Modifies the Laws).

The Result is Brutal Efficiency

Decisions get taken in a matter of days or hours compared to months and years.

A New Plant has to be opened. Industrial Sub Committee clears it in 3–4 weeks. No interference from the CCP or its hacks.

A New disease is infecting Chickens? The Sub Committee can authorize liquidation of 500000 Birds without a 10 second hesitation – even if 200000 of them belong to the CCP Head of the District.

The High Speed Rail Crash

In 2011 – there was a Train Crash and 47 People Died and 472 were Injured. The Government coughed up $ 3.785 Million and conducted an Inquiry. In exactly 151 Days- the Committee presented the report:

A Single Signal Box had failed. A Young Engineer had sent 14 Memos to the Corresponding Officials who had ignored them. It would have cost $ 75000 equivalent to have modified the issue.

276 Officials were investigated and 251 were Acquitted or let off with a warning or fired with no further consequences.

25 Officials were found to be guilty and sentenced to terms between 15 months to Death Sentence for 4 People. The Railways Minister, whose photo is above, was sentenced to death. And not for his politics – as even the most liberal Chinese in US admitted.

The Best part was that in 151 Days – 5 months – the Issue was finished. 25 people were in Jail, replacements had been hired and the boxes were modified.

Its called Accountability. A Single Signal Box fails because you did not modify it when you should have – Your fault – You are convicted of something called LOSS OF PUBLIC LIFE THROUGH CONSPIRACY OR NEGLIGENCE.

If Negligence is proven its a huge fine or 7 years jail.

If Conspiracy is proven – its a hail of bullets.

(The Minister, above was reprieved and is serving a life sentence). Kanthaswamy Balasubramaniam

This is a selection from Godfree Robert’s Here Comes China weekly newsletter.

Godfree’s book, Why China Leads the World is now updated to 2023 and also available in an audible version.
The 2023 edition is out and, with it, the new Audible version. Listen and wonder!

It’s the only book that explains all three elements of China’s success:

Talent at the Top: Only the brightest, most idealistic people are are admitted to politics–a policy unchanged in 2200 years.
Data in the Middle: policies are implemented, tracked, and optimized based on terabytes of data. The PRC is the world’s largest consumer of public surveys.
Democracy at the Bottom: ordinary people, all unpaid amateurs, assemble twice a year to check the stats and sign off on new legislation. Policies need a minimum of 66% support to become law. That’s why 95% of Chinese say the country is on the right track.

The proof? There are more hungry children, more poor, homeless, drug addicted, and imprisoned people in America than in China.

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***
The size of China’s displacement of the world balance is such that the world must find a new balance. It is not possible to pretend that this is just another big player. This is the biggest player in the history of the world. Lee Kuan Yew: The Future of US-China Relations. The Atlantic.
***
The Coronavirus accelerated the pace of change of global leadership from America to China. There are now more hungry children, more poor, homeless, drug addicted, and imprisoned people in America than in China.

Suddenly, China’s larger, steadier economy, its leadership in science, its stronger military, more powerful allies, and wider international support have handed it a lead that widens every day. Crammed with direct quotes from its movers and shakers, charts, and footnotes, Why China Leads the World tells a remarkable tale, explains a tectonic shift, and helps you adapt to this new era, and even thrive in it.
***
If we could just be China for one day we could actually authorize the right decisions. Thomas L. Friedman. The New York Times

300 pages, 27 charts and graphs. $9.99 on Amazon and in bookstores worldwide.