Category: Thinking About China

Terror Along China’s Belt and Road

Commentary Chinese leader Xi Jinping must feel like he is playing a game of whack-a-mole. After years of easy political, economic, and diplomatic gains, he has more recently had to deal with a series of problems, one popping up after another. His draconian COVID-19 policies have set back the economy and now have given rise…


Problems Ahead for the White Paper Revolution

Commentary China felt a bit relieved after Hong Kong’s “colour revolution” was subdued by the implementation of the national security law. However, last week after a fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang killed 10 in a residential building under lockdown, people in a dozen of Chinese cities went to the street to mourn the victims, and the…


Apple’s China Contortions

Commentary China has supposedly been good to Apple. A compliant workforce. Cheap wages. A mass market and unified regulatory structure. All fueled Apple’s explosive profits. Approximately 16 percent of smartphone shipments in China, the world’s biggest market for the technology, are iPhones. So when Beijing says jump, Apple jumps. The company is now limiting its…


The Debt Ceiling Is the Hammer

Commentary America’s public debt is now over $31.3 trillion! Watch the U.S. debt clock increase in real-time (here) and be shocked and amazed at how fast the debt is increasing. As the U.S. Treasury Department reported, “the national debt ($31.35 T) is the total amount of outstanding borrowing by the U.S. Federal Government accumulated over…


America’s Deadly Epidemic

Commentary This year’s FIFA World Cup is well underway. Throughout the month-long tournament, millions of Americans, we’re told, will bet a total of $1.8 billion. This should come as no surprise. After all, Americans love to gamble. However, this love is quickly turning millions of Americans into gambling addicts. You’re more likely to be struck…


Don’t Mourn Jiang Zemin

Commentary The former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) chief, Jiang Zemin, is dead. Some are misty-eyed, perhaps due to his supposedly friendly demeanor. Jiang performed for world leaders, including singing attempts for the Queen of England, George W. Bush, and Luciano Pavarotti. But Jiang should instead be remembered for the trail of blood he left behind….


Beijing Can No Longer Skirt the SEC Regulations

Commentary The days of a double standard for China are ending. Chinese companies will no longer be able to skirt Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) audit rules and take advantage of American investors. There are over 250 Chinese companies listed on U.S. securities exchanges, with a combined value of over $1 trillion. They have been…


The Parallel Between UK and US Immigration Policies

Commentary Two shocking immigration-related stories highlight open border fiascos in the United States and the United Kingdom. Back in August, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) issued a statement that included this sentence (emphasis added): “July numbers bring the total of illegal aliens crossing our borders since President Biden took office to 4.9 million,…


The Undertaker of Any Chance of Political Reform: Jiang Zemin’s Death in Historical Perspective

Commentary Jiang Zemin’s death (1926-2022) is an appropriate occasion to reflect on his historical significance as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1989-2002 and as chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989-2004. His rule defined the “third generation” of Party leaders. It was defined by great support for business, the…


Hiring Is Poised to Weaken

Commentary The debate over the state of the economy has quieted. With the midterm elections done, the side claiming that a recession had already begun has less need to make its case, while the other side has less need to refute it. But if the politically obsessed have turned away from such matters, economics still…