Is the US shooting itself in the foot by banning Huawei?

[tidalwave]

Meng has not done anything wrong. Why should she commit suicide? The Huawei lawsuit is not a scandal. And Meng is maintaining that she has not broken any international law and she is innocent. In fact, Huawei is suing the US now.

In China, she has been considered as a fighter/heroine who is at the forefront of an effort that the Chinese as a whole is making to become great again. Why would a soldier kill himself/herself when he/she is at the front line in the heat of a fight? It makes no sense. Even in the most strict eastern Asian cultures, soldiers only kill themselves when they have lost the fight. Are you suggesting that Huawei and China are losing the battle? Ordinary people commit suicide because they have been involved in scandals and cannot clear their names. They kill themselves to minimize damage. In most cases, the suicide is meant to show that they are ashamed of what they have done and they are using the suicide as a way to apologize. Are you suggesting that Huawei's case is a scandal, they are guilty as charged and they should kill themselves to minimize damage??? Of course, people also commit suicide to show how angry they are and how much they disagree with how they have been treated. Again, that would mean the verdict has been made and they don't agree with it. Has the Huawei gotten its verdict? By committing suicide, Meng would have suggested that she has admitted to have lost the fight and she has given up the fight. A bad decision.

Additionally, if/when she wins the fight, that means China has won the fight fair and square in the court of law. China will gain the upper hand, not only on the 5G market, but also on the moral/legal ground. That would be a complete and crystal clear victory. If she does anything stupid like committing suicide, that will complicate things so much. Even if she eventually wins the lawsuit, people will say that it is a pity win. That would be a moral loss.

Even in the most strict East Asian society, committing suicide is a sign of weakness. Losers, wrongdoers and those too weak to change their destiny commit suicide. People forgive the sins of the bad people when they commit suicide. People feel sorry for those who have no choice but to kill themselves. Again, a sign of weakness. Those, who hold the moral/legal high ground and have confidence that they will win, will not do stupid things like committing suicide.

It's more like individual sacrifice himself or herself for collective goods of others or for a greater cause. It's called self sacrifice.

So Japanese kamakazi attack because they felt guilty?

Makes no sense.

 

[vesicles]

It's more like individual sacrifice himself or herself for collective goods of others or for a greater cause. It's called self sacrifice.

So Japanese kamakazi attack because they felt guilty?

Makes no sense.

The Japanese used Kamakazi because they were losing the war and they were desperate. The moment they started using kamazaki, the Americans knew that they have beaten the Japanese. Like I've said before, only losers and wrongdoers commit suicide. Did the Japanese use the Kamazaki in 1937 when they started the invasion and were winning in China? No one in their right mind would kill themselves when they are winning.

Committing suicide is an ultimate sign of weakness, in any culture. A life is the most valuable asset of any living being. No one would choose to do that if given an alternative. If you have all kinds of cards in your hands, no one would choose the worst option. A suicide means you no longer have any alternative. That naturally implies that you are losing badly.

Self sacrifice is only used when you are losing, in any culture.

More importantly, a life is the most precious thing in this world. When you suggest Meng to take her life for the greater good, whose greater good is it? Yours? Will you be one of the supposed beneficiaries? She takes her life so that you, among others, can benefit from her death?

Advocating someone to take her life is a very immoral thing to do. No one has the right to do that. You claim to understand East Asian culture. You should know the story of Jin Ke assassination of the First Emperor. Jin Ke was a famous assassin and was asked to assassinate the First Emperor. In order to get close to the Emperor, he needed to get close to the Emperor by gaining his trust. the assassin knew that the Emperor hated two people the most. So he went to see these two people and asked them to commit suicide. He could hand their heads to the First Emperor, thus gaining the Emperor's trust. When Jin Ke went to talk to these two people, he promised them 2 things: (1) he would try his best to kill the Emperor and finish his job; (2) once the job was done, he promised that he would kill himself to honor the deaths and self-sacrifice of these two people.

As you can see, you cannot simply ask someone to commit suicide. Even in ancient times, asking someone else to commit suicide has been considered a very immoral thing. The only way to justify such unreasonable request would be for the requester to also commit suicide, thus honoring the self sacrifice committed by the requested. So, are you ready to honor Meng if she takes up your request?

 

[Hendrik_2000]

Apple price cut fail to revive sale Guess they run out of option They become noncompetitive fast

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Here's Why Apple's iPhone Price Cuts in China Might Not Be Working

My colleague Evan Niu recently

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from Longbow Research in which the analysts claim that despite substantial iPhone price cuts in China, iPhone demand just isn't picking up.

Indeed, the report claimed that iPhone search trends in China weakened and that "February supplier sales were abysmal, decelerating on a year over year basis vs. January."

Image source: Apple.

This report seems to point to fundamental issues with Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) product lineup and competitiveness in the region.

Why aren't price cuts working?
If there were significant interest in Apple's latest crop of iPhones but some consumers were simply holding off because the prices were too high, then price cuts should have helped drive incremental demand for the products. And these price cuts were significant. As Reuters pointed out in January, iPhone resellers in China cut iPhone XR prices by as much as $118.

But if one argues that Apple still isn't cutting prices enough to have a significant impact on demand, then it must mean Apple's current iPhone lineup just isn't competitive enough to command what the company is asking for them.

This, unfortunately for Apple, seems like a plausible explanation.

For example, Apple rival Huawei, China's top seller of smartphones, saw its smartphone shipments grow in the region even when Apple and other smartphone makers were reporting declines there. This isn't totally an apples-to-apples comparison, as Huawei plays more broadly across the various smartphone price points than Apple does, but the China-based smartphone maker also seems to be enjoying significant success with its own premium smartphones that, in some ways, are

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.

In fact, even Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF), which saw its market share in the Greater China region decimated over the years as it struggled to compete with local Chinese smartphone vendors, is seeing some renewed success in the region. According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the

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is enjoying "much better-than-expected demand in [the] China market."

The Galaxy S10-series devices, too, are differentiated from Apple's current offerings, according to the analyst, with features like "ultrasonic fingerprint on display, rear triple-camera, and bilateral wireless charging."

In simple terms, Apple just doesn't have the right product line to achieve its unit shipment or revenue goals.

A better product offering could do the trick
I think Apple's iPhone business performance in Greater China will improve when the company's product offerings become more competitive on features and capabilities. The Chinese smartphone market is extremely competitive and filled with hungry players willing to launch a large number of products and iterate on them quickly in a bid to capture market share. Apple's product development and launch strategy needs to adapt for it to, at a minimum, stabilize its current market share in the region.

Apple's current iPhone lineup is simply a dud in the Greater China region. In about six months, the company should announce a new lineup of iPhones, and I'll be watching closely to see if these new devices help improve the company's situation in the region or if the market share and revenue declines will persist.

 

[localizer]

Well Wechat does everything and no one in China uses ApplePay. Now everyone going towards folding phones and Apple just ain't a folding phone company.

Also, just maybe some Chinese are boycotting US products?

 

[Tam]

What do you mean are you OK??

If you know anything about East Asian culture. Kamikazi attack by japanese and In the past , alot of top politicians and high management would committed suicide so scandal things would not implicate their families.basically, they sacrificed so things end there so their family can live a hassle free lives after.
Or at foxconn, workers committed suicide so their family can get lump sum afterward. Again, sacrifice themselves for the family

If meng death means US cannot pursue Huawei case, she would sacrifice for the good of the company. It's very possible.

You know nothing about East Asian culture. Stick with your McDonald and Burger kings.

You are way over the top, man.

 

[CMP]

Read somewhere yesterday that Mnuchin and other former wallstreeters are trying to include in the trade deal conditions that pull the U.S. back somewhat from its offensive stance against Huawei. Also in a Washington Post article from December, it was revealed that Huawei is a fairly regular financial contributor to the Brookings Institution, which also happens to be the institution that published the reports about China's GDP being small.

 

[taxiya]

Apple's death has really nothing to do with China. It is wholly its own fault anywhere on this planet.

iPhone XR is sold at about 850EUR. Huawei's P30 lite has not come out with a price, but P20 lite is 440EUR, half of XR. Both are the lowest version of their line. Even Samsung's S10e (the cheap one) only cost 680EUR.

The reason that people buy iPhone is not because it has the best spec, but ONLY the eco system that they are tied to. "Once apple always apple". Even that rope is not strong enough now, as Apple's is continuing improve the price without the performance. It is only a matter of time when Apple fans (slaves) say "enough is enough".

P.S. I picked an iPhone X recently, hehe, because company paid for it in a massive deal with operator. The deal charges equal price on either Samsung S9 and iPhone X. While street price is 490EUR vs 1000EUR. Apparently the operator is cutting iPhone price in Europe as well.

 

[Jura The idiot]

now I read this
Opinion

Donald Trump demands US allies join his Huawei blacklist, but what is he offering in return?

• The Trump administration’s America-first agenda is not compatible with its new cold war, which requires allies to forgo Chinese technology at their own expense

Updated: 4:18am, 16 Mar, 2019

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It is convenient to call the escalating geopolitical contest between the United States and China a “new

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”. But that description should not be allowed to obscure the obvious, though not yet sufficiently understood, reality that this new competition will

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from the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union.
The cold war of the 20th century pitted two rival military alliances against each other. By contrast, the Sino-American rivalry involves two economies that are closely integrated both with each other and with the rest of the world.

The most decisive battles in today’s cold war will thus be fought on the economic front (trade, technology and investment), rather than in, say, the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait.

Some American strategic thinkers have recognised this, and now argue that, if the US is to win this cold war, it must sever its commercial ties with China – and persuade its allies to do the same.

But, as the ongoing bilateral trade war shows, this is easier said than done. Contrary to US President Donald Trump’s claim that it would be “easy to win”, that war has imposed such high costs, even as the US

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continues to widen, that Trump now seems to be having second thoughts about further escalation.

If the US, with its strong geopolitical incentive, is struggling to bear the costs of an

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, its allies, most of which face no immediate Chinese security threat, will resist doing the same. Their reticence is obvious in their response to America’s aggressive campaign against the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

So far, that campaign has included the arrest (in Canada) of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and

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against the company for allegedly violating sanctions against Iran and stealing US technology.
The Trump administration has also

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allies to keep Huawei – the global leader in next-generation 5G mobile technology – out of their wireless communication networks.
The case against entrusting Huawei to build 5G networks in Western countries is strong. Given the Chinese government’s unfettered power over the country’s companies, including Huawei, technology in 5G networks could give rise to serious security risks.

For countries that cannot afford the expensive equipment (and view Chinese domination as only a distant concern), those risks may be worth taking. But that is not the case for America’s wealthy allies.

Yet, so far, only Australia and New Zealand have complied with the US demand to ban Huawei.

While Canada is considering joining them, European countries have defied the Trump administration, with the UK and Germany indicating that they would allow Huawei to participate in the construction of their 5G networks. South Korea and India have similarly resisted US pressure to exclude Huawei.

Despite the national security implications, the fact remains that banning Huawei would result in higher costs and significant delays. Yet the US has offered no rewards or compensation to its wavering allies.

This underscores a key challenge that the US is likely to confront in the new cold war.

Though America is, ultimately, likely to come out on top, victory will not come cheap. Isolating China economically – which is crucial to gaining the upper hand – will require the US not only to shoulder its own costs, but also to compensate its allies for the losses they incur.

Victory will not come fast, either, especially if the US remains so eager to secure short-term wins – such as Chinese promises to purchase large quantities of

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and energy products – that it fails to encourage the systematic changes that would benefit it and its allies in the long run.

Such opportunism makes US allies doubt America’s resolve in an economic confrontation with China, fuelling fear that they will shoulder high short-term costs for nothing.

The Trump administration has already displayed an utter lack of concern for its allies’ economic interests.

It is chiefly

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that have been hurt by the Trump administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, and now the administration is threatening to go further, imposing a tariff specifically on European and Japanese automobiles.
Trump has reportedly even been

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that America’s allies pay the full cost, plus 50 per cent, of stationing US troops on their territory.

Trump’s approach reflects not just a lack of loyalty, but also a lack of vision for sustaining, let alone strengthening, America’s own economic leverage.

Recall that, almost immediately upon entering the White House, Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a free-trade agreement that sought specifically to prevent Chinese economic domination in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new cold war against China will be won not through ideology or even weaponry, but through the deployment of economic incentives to wage a geopolitical struggle.

The winning strategy will not be one that weaponises only America’s greed. By nickel-and-diming its allies, the US is effectively disarming itself.

 

[taxiya]

Obama was paying allies to fight China through TPP, while Trump is pointing guns at allies to fight China. Lucky for China that it is Trump in white house. I hope by the time somebody else enters white house, OBOR has went so far to be counteracted and RCEP has been signed.

 

[Tam]

Apple's death has really nothing to do with China. It is wholly its own fault anywhere on this planet.

iPhone XR is sold at about 850EUR. Huawei's P30 lite has not come out with a price, but P20 lite is 440EUR, half of XR. Both are the lowest version of their line. Even Samsung's S10e (the cheap one) only cost 680EUR.

The reason that people buy iPhone is not because it has the best spec, but ONLY the eco system that they are tied to. "Once apple always apple". Even that rope is not strong enough now, as Apple's is continuing improve the price without the performance. It is only a matter of time when Apple fans (slaves) say "enough is enough".

P.S. I picked an iPhone X recently, hehe, because company paid for it in a massive deal with operator. The deal charges equal price on either Samsung S9 and iPhone X. While street price is 490EUR vs 1000EUR. Apparently the operator is cutting iPhone price in Europe as well.

The real reason why Apple isn't selling so well in China? Its because many Chinese phones are now that good. I can go hands on with the latest midrange to top end phones from Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Meizu and Numbia, and I get cheek red, grinning ear to ear from being absolutely impressed.

Bought a Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, as that blew me away.