Trade War with China

Max Demian said:

Like it or not, I have to accept it. In a way, it's good to see this side as well.

FYI, I also have conversations with Chinese people outside the office and I would hardly call them empty. But they're not exactly a representative sample, given how they are either researchers at academic institutions or at industry R&D departments, and at least 80% of them hold a PhD.

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which also means they have a lot to lose and will not be open about any of their opinions or thoughts that non-chinese will take offense at, or risk raising suspicions of inadequate loyalty to america, or too much loyalty to china

Max Demian said:

Like it or not, I have to accept it. In a way, it's good to see this side as well.

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Then appreciate it rather than complain about it.

Max Demian said:

FYI, I also have conversations with Chinese people outside the office and I would hardly call them empty. But they're not exactly a representative sample, given how they are either researchers at academic institutions or at industry R&D departments, and at least 80% of them hold a PhD.

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PhD, janitor, researcher, etc... under what circumstances would you expect a Chinese person to tell you to your face that s/he is dedicated to their own country and wish to see it flourish over any other country including wherever they reside (most likely your home country)? I can tell you right now, I'm a PhD and we wouldn't be having this conversation face-to-face; in person, we wouldn't be talking about anything other than fishing and the weather.

If they have no incentive to get into that with you, then how are the conversations not empty?

Hendrik_2000 said:

This article confirm what I have been saying all along Here it is. I lament the lack of self reliance spirit on the part of Chinese private enterprises. Government can only do so much without the participation of private sector It will come to naught Now they are in the pickle and offered mea culpa
Huawei and other internet giant are the worst offender

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The same thing can be said about China's conventional auto industry. All China's auto makers want to do is to make money on the Chinese domestic market by making cars using foreign technologies. Sometimes a large domestic market is a curse rather than a blessing. For example, South Korea does not have a large enough domestic market, so its auto makers were forced to come up with world-class technologies in order to survive on the international market. Hopefully this trade war will tech Chinese manufacturers some lessons.

manqiangrexue said:

Then appreciate it rather than complain about it.

PhD, janitor, researcher, etc... under what circumstances would you expect a Chinese person to tell you to your face that they are dedicated to their own country and wish to see it flourish over wherever they reside (most likely your home country)? I can tell you right now, I'm a PhD and we wouldn't be having this conversation face-to-face.

If they have no incentive to tell you the truth, how are the conversations not empty?

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i can confirm you are correct. even under ordinary circumstances, but especially under trump and the new mccarthyism, there is nothing to gain and everything to lose by even leaving a single hint of disloyalty

our friend max here can’t possibly understand the risk profile for a chinese working in the west. the best move is to avoid expressing opinions westerners would disapprove of or frown upon. and when pressed to have an opinion, simply lie and express the politically correct opinion for the host country. deary me, i do love this freedom and democracy so much and nothing back home can compare! it’s priceless, and no amount of money or opportunity could be traded for it!

manqiangrexue said:

...
I can tell you right now, I'm a PhD and we wouldn't be having this conversation face-to-face; in person, we wouldn't be talking about anything other than fishing and the weather.

If they have no incentive to get into that with you, then how are the conversations not empty?

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We do touch upon political topics now and then. I try not to be critical and just listen. Often they echo the sentiments I hear at sdf, but they are not reluctant to point out the things that are currently better here than where they came from, such as infrastructure, schools, medical services, clean air&water, lack of corruption, efficient and fair judicial system. That they are content is evident from the fact that they bought properties and are raising their children here.

Curiously, none of them seem too impressed about democracy, unlike some Taiwanese people I've got to know better. But that's a story for a different forum ...

curiously? more like it’s self-evident as to why not. also, taiwanese like democracy for the same reason hong kongers do. it makes them different and assures them that they are better than their significantly more numerous cousins across the strait (because it makes them more like the west).

also, working and living in the west is clearly better in terms of maximum potential earnings, quality of life, etc. the wide gap is no longer as large as it used to be, but is definitely still there and will likely take another couple decades to close completely. and it has nothing to do with your democracy.

first mover’s advantage in industrial revolutions, as well as a couple hundred years of colonialism, has a tendency to enrich the colonizers/first movers.

Max Demian said:

Like it or not, I have to accept it. In a way, it's good to see this side as well.

FYI, I also have conversations with Chinese people outside the office and I would hardly call them empty. But they're not exactly a representative sample, given how they are either researchers at academic institutions or at industry R&D departments, and at least 80% of them hold a PhD.

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In 2015, Gallup conducted a survey and asked the question, would you fight for your country?

Would you fight for your country?
2015 Gallup Poll

Selected countries
India: 75%
China: 71%
USA: 44%
Japan: 11%

Even though this question is actually about a real war, we can infer a very high level of support and sacrifice by the Chinese population in the event of a trade war
In comparison, the USA population polls much lower.

thanks for the infographic! it looks fairly accurate in representing the level of patriotism in different countries.

Max Demian said:

We do touch upon political topics now and then. I try not to be critical and just listen. Often they echo the sentiments I hear at sdf, but they are not reluctant to point out the things that are currently better here than where they came from, such as infrastructure, schools, medical services, clean air&water, lack of corruption, efficient and fair judicial system. That they are content is evident from the fact that they bought properties and are raising their children here.

Curiously, none of them seem too impressed about democracy, unlike some Taiwanese people I've got to know better. But that's a story for a different forum ...

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I mean if all you like is hearing how shit China is go to r/China and talk to those English teacher expats complain.

If you think we Chinese don't know the problems in China you're delusional. Most of our family is in China, we know about the situation in China just as well as the US. We were brought up not to complain and work hard and strive towards a better future. That's all that can be done.