Sun sets on resource boom as China economy shrinks

[shan]

Is him the biggest idiot chen shui bian ?

[Polly]

  Yes, him is.

[shan]

 Nation that prints a million dollars a minute with little or no oversight wants to accuse China of being a currency manipulator?

Tax Evader Tim should check the Fed's own dirty record.

US economic crimes:

1. Printing out fake money.
2. Controlling banks and international trades with world bank, IMF, federal reserve, tax havens, etc.
3. Stealing resources from Native Americans, oceans throughout the world, oil from the Middle East, diamonds and gold and resources from Africa, etc.
4. Murdering any weaker nation when it refuses to bow down to American exploitation.
5. Using propaganda media to sabotage, spy on, and slander other nations to enrich and empower the West.
6. Trade restrictions against China.
7. Failed attempt to isolate China.
8. Driving fat SUVs and eating too many hamburgers, steaks, and freedom fries (haha). Drinking too much poison called coca-cola and other soft drinks.
9. Borrowing too much foreign money.
10. Etc.

America thinks, "We can have whatever we want and if anyone disagrees, then we have the right to murder that person." The world disagrees and now America says, "Blame China!"
 

[Polly]

北美人生：亲历金融危机下美国的七大变化(转载)
从细节看美国的危机～～再对比本国的情况，真的没有太多危机感～～
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
我对美国的经济危机一直没有太多感触，只有几个玩股票的朋友，纷纷说“已经输到脚底”了。直到新年前后，我才感觉到经济危机带来的明显变化。
　　
　　　　“为人民服务”缩水了
　　
　　　　第一个变化：物价涨得厉害。我出差频繁，有小半年不怎么“大手笔”采购生活物资了。出差归来走进超市时，发现物价涨了很多，尤其是米、面、菜、禽、蛋等，相对半年前涨了至少30%。
　　
　　　　第二个变化：饭店冷清了。我常去的几个饭店，4个月前去时还人气很旺，新年时再去，冷冷清清。
　　
　　　　第三个变化：警察罚款多了。新年驱车前往纽约州，朋友千叮咛万嘱咐“小心警察”——纽约州高速公路上的警力增加了，罚款也增加了内容，不仅有超速罚单，还有各种名目的罚款，一笔罚款可以高达400美元。
　　
　　　　第四个变化：美国开始提倡“勤俭节约”了。朋友所在的大学，平时，教学楼、实验室、图书馆全天候灯火通明。现在，学校倡导学生集中学习，这些场所能不开放就不开放，以节省费用。
　　
　　　　第五个变化：旅行的人少了。我曾数次在圣诞、新年驾车出游，就算是圣诞夜，路上的车辆仍来往频繁。去年圣诞夜，高速公路上“一马平川”，半天看不到一辆车，开车真爽，就是有点儿奇怪，美国的公路从来没这么清净过。到了收费站，发现以前不收费的路段现在也收费了，费用明显增加，突然感悟：以前看到的美国种种“为人民服务”原来是有条件的，富裕的时候“为人民服务”，没钱的时候，“为人民服务”也缩水了。
　　
　　　　失去自信是衰落的开始
　　
　　　　第六个变化：美国的自信在消失。朋友从加拿大过来，异常愤怒。他有5年没来美国了，这次感觉最明显的变化是美国边境官的态度，从前的宽松、和善没有了，代之以粗暴、恶劣，“像被吓着了一样”，像对待犯人一样对待进入美国的人，对老人和小孩也是这种态度，已经没有了对人的尊重，美国人抛弃了他们一直宣扬的价值观念。朋友遭到了搜身、充满敌意的盘问，因而愤怒，发誓这是最后一次，从此不再踏进美国。
　　
　　　　我看过一个电视采访。一个80多岁的老太太被边境官揪到小屋里盘问了几个小时。电视节目主持人问边境官为什么要这样，边境官回答“不给恐怖主义传递错误信息，告诉他们‘无机可乘’，无论老人还是孩子，检查都一样严格。”我的那位朋友说：“美国的自信没有了，经过这次经济危机，会越来越不自信。失去自信，这是美国衰落的开始。”
　　
　　　　不能丢掉主宰自己的权力
　　
　　　　第七个变化：穷人愈发贫困。
　　
　　　　薇是我认识的美国人中最穷的一个，67岁的她退休前在大学图书馆工作。她是美国“消费经济”的代表，“寅吃卯粮”、借钱消费成习惯了，只要信用卡能借出钱来就去消费。现在信用卡借钱困难了，她陷入了困境。去年圣诞前我专程去看薇，她和她的猫都濒临“断粮”。
　　
　　　　薇每个月的退休金算起来不少，可依然不够花。美国人对生活品质要求很高，衣食住行都要维持一定的水准。比如，薇不会为了省钱而自己做饭，对她来说，一日三餐自己做简直就是苦役。“我不知道明天会发生什么”，这是薇的信条。美国人对食物的质量很在乎，薇即使没饭吃，也不会去买便宜的食物。虽然生活困难，但薇跟男友约会时，依然打扮得漂亮、高贵，心情极好，看不出是个陷入困境的人。
　　
　　　　我请薇出去吃饭，她高兴极了。去饭店是她喜欢的生活方式，已经有些日子没去了。吃饭、聊天，说着说着，薇眼睛里突然满是泪水，然而，她的骄傲让她控制着泪水，她要她的尊严，那是西方人骨子里的东西，所以她反复说“感谢上帝”，让她的男友和我出现在她的生活中。薇对我由衷地感谢，但语气绝不谦恭，她把所有的感激涕零和感恩戴德都给了上帝。也许在她看来，人和人之间可以互相帮助，但不应该存在怜悯地给予和感恩戴德地回报，只有这样，人们才活得有尊严。
　　
　　　　临走的时候，我给薇的猫买了足够吃3个月的猫粮，送给薇一份可以去商店换钱的礼物。薇可以没有钱，但不能丢掉主宰自己的权力。我不认同甚至“批判”地看待薇的生活方式，但我佩服薇坚持的那种精神。
　　
　　　　有着薇那样消费习惯的美国人很多。是谁养着美国的消费？是全世界。但美国人意识不到，包括薇，他们被惯坏了。
　　
　　　　接触了骄傲的美国人，我更体会到中国人朴实中的伟大。美国人像大丽花，要活得漂亮；中国人像草，活的就是那份顽强。中国人的生活美国人过不了，面对贫穷和艰辛，中国人能做到的，美国人做不到。
　　
　　　　不过，美国是不是真的从此走向衰落，我不敢断言。我敢断言的是，美国人过不下去的时候，一定会抢掠全世界。而中国人从不害怕苦难，无论身处什么样的困境，都能靠自己的力量，顽强地挺过去。

[The Smoking Man]

I see the author has a problem differentiating between North America, Canada and the USA.

The author also confuses things that started 7 years ago with the current financial crisis such as the attitudes of border guards.

The author being Chinese might also being treated to a  different experience because of their nationality rather than economic conditions. Any Chinese traveling to the USA can expect to be raked over the coals. Have you seen the way foreigners are now treated while entering China? Maybe this author has missed the fact that most foreigners are now denied visas and that changes to the visa system in China have caused a loss of tourist dollars even in an Olympic year. It even prompted Chamber of commerce officials to launch an official complaint with the Chinese government because their members were unable to travel.

This author is viewing the world with Yellow tinted glasses and not truly observing cause and effect.

[shan]

I can't comment on the other parts but

Have you seen the way foreigners are now treated while entering China?

this is very true ,I have 30 candidates who can't take the post because of the visa problems

the foreigners in China suffered a lot due to the visa clampdown these days

it's even much worse now than the Olympics period

Teachers have to fly back to get their work visa done , what's a waste on their trips?

[shan]

the guardian


China is in deep economic trouble. The growth machine that has propelled it to third in the world economic league table is revealing its fatal flaws. Exports that have grown by more than 20% a year since 2002 will fall in 2009 - an astonishing turnaround. On top of that, the capacity of an overstretched banking system to finance both the government's huge reflation and struggling enterprises as China's growth rate halves is in question. The politburo and state council are deeply concerned.

Optimists argue that the measures taken over the past few months - the reflation, complete with its 20% margin of "administrative charges" to pay off corrupt officials, the cuts in interest rates and reserve requirements, the fall in the currency, the reintroduction of export tax rebates - will put a floor under the economy. This year will be difficult, but growth will pick up as 2009 progresses.

It needs to. The legitimacy of China's communist party, with its links to revolutionary socialism ever more tenuous, depends on fast economic growth and nationalism. The party is challenged by the signatories of Charter 08 calling for the speedy introduction of democratic reforms in the name of both justice and economic efficiency. And it is challenged from below by escalating strikes and protests as the recession bites.

Small wonder that the reaction to Barack Obama's accusation that the party manipulates its currency to boost its exports has been so fierce. Nearly $2 trillion of foreign exchange reserves were acquired through such manipulation, but the party knows it may need drastically to manipulate the yuan to boost declining exports. Responding toughly to the US both protects this vital policy option, and assuages China's appetite for nationalism. It will not be bullied.

The squaring up of China and the United States over currency and trade is dangerous; both governments face ugly protectionist and nationalist forces that they will find hard to control. The US should be wary; Beijing is so beleaguered it cannot give much ground. My concern, shared by China's policy-makers, is that without huge reforms to lower savings, boost consumption and raise efficiency, China's growth will remain depressed. Any upturn in growth will be slight.

But the party has to manage reform carefully; it will challenge its hegemony. Backed into a corner, Beijing will be forced into resisting Obama, in turn inflaming the protectionists in congress. The US is hurting, too. There is all the tinder for a trade war, with massive implications for the rest of the world. Beware.