China on the rise

[mindlight]

In a massive military parade, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan, Xi Jinping and Putin portrayed an alternative focus for global power.

China parade: What new weapons on show say about Beijing's military strength

Beijing has unveiled a range of military hardware in a show of might to Western powers.

www.bbc.com

For years, China has had no friends. Even now, the smiles of its allies seem a little forced. But the capability and technological level of the weaponry on display in Beijing should give the West reason for thought.

This is not a time for bickering between America and Europe. We stand united or we fall apart.

The Chinese leader talks of truth and justice and moving away from an American world order increasingly dominated by a rich elite with no concern for the emerging world.

Is the Chinese vision a better one?
Can America and Europe compete with the new military-industrial might of China and the continued growth of its economic power?
Do we now live in a multi-polar world where the USA is no longer the dominant power?
Is Trump's America-First strategy weakening the Western world at this crucial time?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

In a massive military parade, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan, Xi Jinping and Putin portrayed an alternative focus for global power.

China parade: What new weapons on show say about Beijing's military strength

Beijing has unveiled a range of military hardware in a show of might to Western powers.

www.bbc.com

For years, China has had no friends. Even now, the smiles of its allies seem a little forced. But the capability and technological level of the weaponry on display in Beijing should give the West reason for thought.

This is not a time for bickering between America and Europe. We stand united or we fall apart.

The Chinese leader talks of truth and justice and moving away from an American world order increasingly dominated by a rich elite with no concern for the emerging world.

Is the Chinese vision a better one?
Can America and Europe compete with the new military-industrial might of China and the continued growth of its economic power?
Do we now live in a multi-polar world where the USA is no longer the dominant power?
Is Trump's America-First strategy weakening the Western world at this crucial time?

China is very calculated and extremely slow to anger. They are the only country who seeks to have a relationship with every country no matter what political ideology. Their strategy is ultimately one of peace through power.

My take anyway.

 

[Desk trauma]

Is Trump's America-First strategy weakening the Western world at this crucial time?

Yes.

 

[Hawkins]

Nothing has fundamentally changed. China is still the old China, so is the US.

It's a coincidence, or by God's will, that China has an excellent leadership, while the US going downhill for several reasons. Democracy is not a good model for sustaining sound economics, especially when go with free capitalism. The US however is still ok because it runs a imperialism instead of true capitalism (Europe is more inclined to this).

You can't expect a good leadership such as that of China lasts forever. Everything is rather temporary. The Western civilization is also at risk for another reason. The youth (generation z?) are no longer qualified for supporting the democracy society model. The rule of thumb is, people (citizens) serve as a supply chain of politicians and government officials. Good soil gives good fruits. In the end, Christians are the salt and light of this world. A society is doomed when choosing to leave God and Christianity. China is away from God from the beginning. The US and West and slowly walking away.

 

[mindlight]

China is very calculated and extremely slow to anger. They are the only country who seeks to have a relationship with every country no matter what political ideology. Their strategy is ultimately one of peace through power.

My take anyway.

They seek connections but usually on their own terms. Relationship implies some sense of equality. They respect national sovereignty and the rule of international law when it does not conflict with their own agenda. e.g., in the South China Sea. Their strategy seems more like wait until we are powerful enough to do whatever we please. Until then, just play both sides, present as the Peacemaker, and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

 

[mindlight]

Nothing has fundamentally changed. China is still the old China, so is the US.

It's a coincidence, or by God's will, that China has an excellent leadership, while the US going downhill for several reasons. Democracy is not a good model for sustaining sound economics, especially when go with free capitalism. The US however is still ok because it runs a imperialism instead of true capitalism (Europe is more inclined to this).

You can't expect a good leadership such as that of China lasts forever. Everything is rather temporary. The Western civilization is also at risk for another reason. The youth (generation z?) are no longer qualified for supporting the democracy society model. The rule of thumb is, people (citizens) serve as a supply chain of politicians and government officials. Good soil gives good fruits. In the end, Christians are the salt and light of this world. A society is doomed when choosing to leave God and Christianity. China is away from God from the beginning. The US and West and slowly walking away.

Leadership in China has effectively promoted the national interest more than ideology since Deng Xiaoping, and the result has been China's economic miracle. With Xi Jinping, the easy growth phase seems to be over; there is now a need to address serious structural issues like the real estate fiasco and corruption, and there has been some new assertion of ideology over national interest, which has dampened growth and sabotaged relations with the West, especially.

The woke catastrophe that has been steadily eroding Christian culture in the USA since the sixties needed a correction, and in my view, Trump is like an Enforcer for a Christian agenda, even though his own moral character leaves much to be desired. Charlie Kirk compared him to Samson, who was a man harlot with women but did the right thing in the end.

Generation Z, especially young men, seems to be returning to churches but from a low base, so there is both reason for hope and a reason to expect trouble ahead. As for their fitness to govern, they do stuff differently; maybe they lack the big vision and metanarrative of their Christian grandparents, but every generation is sceptical about the next generation's capacity to perform.

For the immediate future, it looks like leadership in China will have a certain continuity to it with Xi. In the long run, after such a powerful figure, the succession can be an issue, and this is something that could upset the apple cart. The Communist Party is riding a tiger, but so long as the economy keeps growing, they seem secure. It is when they have weak leadership combined with economic recession that the trouble starts. Defeat in a conflict in Taiwan would also be a disaster that could unseat them.