Taiwan and China thread.

[Grim5]

For the first time since data was tracked, direct investment in China has turned negative.


That means there is more investment capital flowing out of the country than flowing in. That's never happened before since the US normalised relations with China many decades ago and signals the rapid outflow of western investment and manufacturing inside China.


I don't expect this will get any better; because the Chinese realise they can't stand still and watch their manufacturing disappear overnight, so they themselves are pumping investments into other countries where labour is cheaper as they try to emulate the US economy by taking advantage of their capital resources to build up production elsewhere for their domestic market.

Foreign investment in China turns negative for first time

Money flows out of country on concerns over U.S. tensions, anti-spy laws

asia.nikkei.com

 

[Grim5]

Multiple schools in China with a collapsing roof problem

Could be tofu dreg construction but I also know one of these schools where their roof collapsed, nearby security cams from other buildings showed the school had stacked bags of concrete on the roof. It's also snowing so perhaps a bit of snow was too much weight..

Chinese alarm after second gym collapse in Heilongjiang province kills three

The second building cave-in in three months in Heilongjiang prompts an outcry over safety issues.

www.bbc.com

 

[Minusorange]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1721989960725561708

Be interesting if it is a cyber attack, with China being the most likely culprit for the region

 

[Grim5]

Phillipines pulls out of $5 billion belt and road project, says it will get funding from Taiwan and Japan instead of China

Philippines drops China's Belt and Road as tensions flare – DW – 11/08/2023

The Philippines dropped out of projects under China's global infrastructure scheme, saying it would seek other sources after Beijing failed to provide funding. The pullout comes amid tensions in the South China Sea.

www.dw.com

 

[Grim5]

Another week, another opportunity for the PLA Navy to lose a ship

This time it's one of their Type 71 amphibious landing ships that they'd need to invade Taiwan with. The ship's hull is currently burning out with several huge columns of black smoke pouring out

The ship can transport into battle 4 helicopters, 60 infantry vehicles and 1000 soldiers and costs around $2 billion to build.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

Now that is a damned shame

 

[Grim5]

Moody's rating agency issues warning to China; says the country is headed for credit rating downgrade and the credit outlook has been set to "negative"

Moody's downgrades outlook on China credit rating over debt fears

BEIJING: Ratings agency Moody's on Tuesday (Dec 5) downgraded the outlook on China's credit rating from "stable" to "negative" in the world's second-largest economy. China's post-pandemic r

www.channelnewsasia.com

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

I can never pretend to understand global financial stuff, other than knowing negative means people are in for a bad time. They did the same for the US' credit outlook last month, so I imagine the whole world is set for financial doom very soon?
Awesome. :'(

 

[Grim5]

I can never pretend to understand global financial stuff, other than knowing negative means people are in for a bad time. They did the same for the US' credit outlook last month, so I imagine the whole world is set for financial doom very soon?
Awesome. :'(

When a country's credit rating is downgraded, it increases the cost of debt for everyone in that country, so when business or private individuals borrow money they have to pay higher interest rates

 

[Grim5]

The Chinese economy seems to be in deflation after posing consecutive quarters of negative CPI and PPI. Combined with both falling exports and falling imports, the economy in general seems to be shrinking

 

[TNA]

Grim5, our Chinese grim news correspondent

 

[bingham67]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1741553525304197201

 

[ubersonic]

"US has no choice but to help Taiwan"

Lol, the USA isn't even bound to help NATO in the event of nuclear war, they most certainly have a choice of weather or not they want to go to war with China over Taiwan...

 

[alchal]

Indeed if I were Taiwan I'd be looking at what's happening to Ukraine with concern.

 

[Efour]

Maybe the UK should Eye up Northern France again for conquest.....

Sweden could probably reinvade norway if its done when their 12 soldiers are sleeping and the 10 swedish ones are having a good day.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

"US has no choice but to help Taiwan"

Lol, the USA isn't even bound to help NATO in the event of nuclear war, they most certainly have a choice of weather or not they want to go to war with China over Taiwan...

I think it means from an economic point of view. The West is totally reliant on TSMC and other chip makers in Taiwan, it would cause chaos if China were to attack and if they managed to take the island I've no doubt all the infrastructure would be destroyed before the PRC could get their hands on it.

 

[alchal]

I think it means from an economic point of view. The West is totally reliant on TSMC and other chip makers in Taiwan, it would cause chaos if China were to attack and if they managed to take the island I've no doubt all the infrastructure would be destroyed before the PRC could get their hands on it.

US are building chip factories back at home ? So they don't have to come to the aid of Taiwan in the future..

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

US are building chip factories back at home ? So they don't have to come to the aid of Taiwan in the future..

They are but you don't build top of the line fabs overnight and that still leaves all the fabs making chips that aren't at the cutting edge but are used in everything. I stopped counting at 60

List of semiconductor fabrication plants - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

From what I understand, Taiwan has focused much of it's military budget on missiles designed to intercept Chinese ships and planes in an effort to slow down any offence and allow the Americans time to mobilize.

 

[Grim5]

China's population falls for the 2nd year in a row and is expected to continue falling indefinitely as babies born continues to decline at 5% per year

China’s population falls by 2 million in 2023 as births tumble to 9 million

China’s overall population fell by 2.08 million last year to 1.4097 billion, down from 1.4118 billion in 2022, while births declined by 5.6 per cent to 9.02 million in 2023, data released on Wednesday showed.

www.scmp.com