Lately we have been inundated with articles about the political entity called Chimerica, an entity likely to dominate the first half of the 21st century. The pundits disagree on how such a disparate union may hold. China is poor and capitalist, America is rich and socialist. China produces, America consumes. Both are instinctively protectionist and isolationists, but are the strongest forces of globalisation.

The secret may be that this union is changing, the Chimerica we see today will not be tomorrow's Chimerica. Will Chimerica's spirit of coopetition remain, or will China and America become rivals? Chimerica often consume more resources, and produce more pollution, than the rest of the world together. Together or separate, how will Chimerica affect our world?

China builds ambitiously in Africa as US sounds the alarm

For better or worse, U.S. suspicions about China's ambitions are playing out far beyond the confines of Africa. Chinese companies are building or financing power plants in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, managing a port in Greece and launching railway projects in Thailand and Tajikistan, with aggressive plans to continue its expansion into Latin America.

Already, there are cautionary tales, critics say.

In Sri Lanka, the former president suffered a surprise election defeat in 2015 after his opponent criticized him for running up some $5 billion in debt to China to fund construction. In December, Sri Lanka's government sold an 80 percent stake in the port in Hambantota to a Chinese state-owned company after falling behind in repaying $1.5 billion borrowed to build it.

Basically, when somebody else does exactly the way USA has been doing all along, it's very suspicious and a cause for alarm.

I think the main question is how important that "state-owned" part is. Besides that it sounds like capitalism as usual.

In Africa, some of the China-funded roads have started to crumble, the U.S. has said, due to shoddy construction.

For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyra

I think the main question is how important that "state-owned" part is. Besides that it sounds like capitalism as usual.

Or imperialism as usual. European colonists often created "companies" (such as British East India Company and Dutch East India Company) which were merchant corporations, not owned by the state in the strict sense, but whose interests were heavily backed by the state. The unfortunate local rulers were misled by the assumption that they were negotiating with merchants about storehouses and trade routes, but ended up permitting garrisons for white men's armies.

When the state backs commercial interests this way (the specific demands always included for example the right for whites to be under the motherland's jurisdiction wherever they went, never under the local jurisdiction), does it matter to what degree the company is formally state-owned? Of course I admit that when the company is state-owned, it's blatantly obvious that the company represents the country's interests, but it should be similarly blatantly obvious when the ambassador requests tax breaks or other privileges for its own country's companies/industries, exemption for its citizens from local law as a condition for an investment or loan, etc. even though none of the companies are state-owned.

Any story invoking "Ansaldo Breda" is unlikely to have a happy ending, though they themselves had an end, being bought by Hitachi.

Quality only comes if you ask, plan, and test for it. Get rich quick schemes come with the opportunity.

Speaking of food, here are the Mississippi delta Chinese:

https://youtu.be/2NMrqGHr5zE

A story of Chinese thinking the Americans are crazy.


Why US and China have such different views about an American girl in a cheongsam (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong)
Qipao prom dress that caused a culture furore in the US draws head-scratching in China (The Straits Times, Singapore)

I'm probably with the Chinese.

Many, many Moons ago I was on a link before pc days with the free Chinese Government on Taiwan. They very kindly sent me a nice magazine every few months whilst a London office sent me  every fortnight a four page newspaper. Unfortunately decades ago I overlooked the opportunity to remain on their sending stuff. I even got a very nice letter from the Presidential palace done in what looked like a rice paper. Chiang Kai Shek was a good age and still the Head of State so gives an idea of how long ago! 

China overtakes U.S. for healthy lifespan: WHO data

https://youtu.be/bMuSEuuZTeM