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1095 days ago
The "Great Nations" series chose 9 nations. Only nations in the modern world were selected (i.e. after 1500s). This is significant, because, as the narrative said, the year 1500 defines the first time that different disparate parts of the world finally met and compete (and conflict) with each other. Before that, China was the center of its part of the world, so the Chinese empire (and the Roman, Persia, Alexander, Mongolia, Ottoman Empires) did not count. The subtle message is also that, in this new order China should not be thinking about restoring its old hegemony, because that hegemony only extended to a small part of the world, i.e. NE Asia; as a result, the future objective for China is not to dominate the world, but become a major player like (the average of) what (the "three really qualified great nations") Britain, Holland and USA is playing today. Some Chinese commentator complained why the Qing empire was not included in the "Great ...1095 days ago
China 郑和下西洋神话批判 林行止：阿扁不走 家人受辱 各方有利 Xinhua Stays Naughty Price negotiation - example (V) 悶鍋 海協會記者會 在台華之外的紅藍綠女 Tibet pictures Tiger Farm, solution by Chinese capitalists 台灣未來真正最重要的決定力量 为什么是孔丘而不是李聃 Ally vs pseudo-protectorate: US Beef in Taiwan vs Korea/Japan 是谁“瓜分”了中国的中央权力 (V) pan-Green revenge on Ma Receipt Why North Korea Is Viewed as More Curiosity Than Threat 华为真相--在矛盾和平衡中前进的“狼群” A Chinese province woos Taiwan for the sake of its own economy 西藏的政治归属 台股日月無光？ Rest of Asia North Korea Nuclear Test - A Technical Analysis Shanghai and Tokyo North Korea pictures Uzbek MTV Shahrizoda and Setora Speedboat thr' broken bridge - Dandong/Sinujiu 逃出朝鲜 Rest of the world "The Departed" thread Vietnam lesson for Iraq Dense Money = Dense Networks Ten Worst Internet Acquisitions Ever Categories: reading
1099 days ago
The question "What does China want" has been asked by western observers repeatedly, especially back in the times when "China threat" rhetoric still received some attention (i.e. before Zoellick said "China is not USSR"). In an early posting of this blog I have argued that it does not matter what China's intention is, because in the medium term (i.e. 20-50 years) it will focus on economic development (and maintaining the hope of re-uniting with Taiwan some day in future), beyond that China's leadership would have changed a few times and it won't matter what it wants now, the optimistic case is that it will probably become a democracy joining the West (or be like Singapore, if not Japan). Therefore, the major concern for the West is not what China intends to do today, but to prevent major disaster in China's path of reform and development, because that may derail the risk-averse do-nothing path it is taking currently. Apparently the CCP leadership ...1099 days ago
"Rise of the Great Nation" 大国崛起 is a new TV documentary aired by China's CCTV this month. It runs in parallel to Paul Kennedy's Rise and Fall of Great Power, and a similar documentary series 18 years ago, The River Elegy (河殇). (Paul Kennedy interview conversations were actually shown in many episodes) I just finished 4 episodes: (1)Portugal and Spain, (2)Holland, (3)&(4) Britain and (7)Japan. It is well made, with clear message to the path of development for China today (for the government perspective). I will show you this link of discussion and commentaries before I write something of my own. Suffice it to say that it broke a lot of taboos in China; it tried hard to look at more fundamental drivers of changes (even though they may be obvious to some of us) and spelled them out quite unambiguously to Chinese audiences; e.g. the honest discussion about the pros and cons of bottom-up vs top-down approach in th development of a nation, and ...1099 days ago
The clip in 5 parts, it is from the "TV Broadcast of the entire "Ever-victorious Workers' Party of Korea" held at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea on September 4, 2001." Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 --- 1) For how this works see State of the Mind clip here 2) Older clips here --- Military band performance 9/9/2003 (55th DPRK anniversary) Military band performance 4/25/2002 (70th People's Army anniversary - the army was founded 19 years before the government?)
