Atlas Hugged posted:

He was the dude that while he was doing his military service he would take smoke breaks to tell the other men that smoking was bad for them and that they should quit. Every. Single. Day. He's super proud of that.

nickmeister posted:

I thought smoking was good for healthy? I'm confused.

Haier posted:

Wait, are they all Chinese people, but you're in Thailand? Or they are Thais in Thailand? I am so confused.

LOL on making IRL friends out of goons. We have the best goons in China. The best! The fact that you have Thailand goons.. SAD!

quote:

A week is just a week, but when it comes to strategic focus, China is on course. It's easier to look laser sharp when the competition is in disarray. Here the internal difficulties of the US and the European Union are helpful to China.
As Chinese Foreign Ministry official Zhang Jun put it in a discussion with foreign journalists: "If people want to say China has taken a position of leadership, it's not because China suddenly thrust itself forward as a leader. It's because the original front-runners suddenly fell back and pushed China to the front."

In the past week alone, a bitter row over the size of the crowd at the Trump inauguration, followed by street protests the next day, underlined the divisions of the world's superpower even at the very moment which was supposed to heal.
For China's citizens, brought up to see street protests as dangerous, this was another symptom of dysfunction in a political system they've been taught to distrust.

And next, an American president echoed Beijing's message that the mainstream American media can't be trusted.

So it's been a week to put a spring in the step of China's communists, to shake off the inferiority complex of an autocratic political system, and even to advance the claim that China's system is superior.

Among business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Xi talked the language of global togetherness, but back home his Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the People's Daily, lost no time in declaring the bankruptcy of Western politics.

"The emergence of capitalism's social crisis is the most updated evidence to show the superiority of socialism and Marxism," it said.

This ideological inoculation is invaluable for Xi Jinping ahead of the vital Communist Party Congress which will clarify China's leadership line-up for the next five years.

What's more, greater political confidence at home allows him to focus out.

The inauguration of a billionaire celebrity promising to make America great again through building walls confirms the view of some in Beijing that the United States is in terminal decline, and that this is a moment of opportunity for China.
President Xi's favourite slogans are the "China Dream" and the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese people". But it's all happening faster than his predecessors could have imagined.

It's less than two decades since China fully entered a US-led world of global capitalism.

When China joined the World Trade Organization, it complained bitterly about living under rules made by the US and its friends, while fully expecting to live under those rules for decades to come.

But November's American presidential election finished what the 2008 financial crisis had begun: a shift in worldview. And now we are one week into the new leadership mission set out by President Xi at Davos.

In China there are some who compare Mr Trump's character and leadership style with China's Chairman Mao. They point to the former's relentless tweeting as a new version of the latter's daily deluge of quotations.
They note other similarities: the unpredictability, distrust of media, and overwhelming self-confidence.

Some admire and some despise, but Donald Trump, they say, is a great disrupter in the Maoist mould.

All of which is a discussion which takes some of the heat off President Xi at home. Until recently critics accused him of Maoist tendencies after his relentless concentration of titles and power and his frenetic media personality cult.

But as China's citizens look out on a world of strongmen this week, their own president may seem comparatively sober, predictable and experienced: not too much the Caesar, nor too little, for a global leader in our age.

Meanwhile Mr Xi's outward facing message, that China wants a world of fair trade and globalisation, got a boost this week from several quarters, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The Chinese-led development bank said it is set for expansion. It currently has nearly 60 members and now says another 25 are likely to join this year.

Two years ago when the AIIB was launched, it became a symbol of the pulling power of China's money and nimble diplomacy when US allies lined up to join despite strong US opposition.

This week, AIIB president Jin Liqun told journalists, it was China's turn to contribute to the world: "China needs to do something that can help it be recognised as a responsible leader."

But in the long view, if this week is to be remembered as a tipping point towards Chinese power, it will not be because of anything announced in Beijing but because of what happens in Washington.

One of President Trump's first acts in office was to sign an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact which the Obama administration had insisted would cement US leadership in Asia.
"Protection will lead to greater strength", said Mr Trump. But in an open letter, outgoing US ambassadors in the region disagreed.

"Walking away from TPP may be seen by future generations as the moment America chose to cede leadership to others in this part of the world and accept a diminished role."

Certainly in response to the Trump announcement, US ally and TPP signatory Australia immediately said it hoped to recast the trade agreement without the US, and said China might be invited to join.

Asia is the key testing ground where the US stands in the way of China's ambitions.

Since the end of World War Two, Washington has insisted that the US is in Asia for the good of all and invested decades in diplomacy and defence to maintain the liberal international order.

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump expressed impatience with that investment. And having withdrawn from the TPP, the Trump administration will have to find a new way to nurture key allies and partners in the region and to reassure them that 'America first' does not mean everyone else last.

But at the same moment, China's diplomats and bankers are stepping up their efforts and their focus does not waver.

Last year, Beijing turned an international legal defeat over the South China Sea into a diplomatic triumph by charming and disarming the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

In the Trump era, it has other US allies in its sights. Only this week, Thailand confirmed funding for the purchase of a Chinese submarine.

But on security, the week also saw a cloud on China's leadership horizon.

The new White House spokesman Sean Spicer seemed to echo warnings to China from incoming Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he sketched out a position on the South China Sea.

"We're going to make sure that we defend international territories from being taken over by one country," said Mr Spicer.

It's not clear exactly what he meant or exactly what Mr Tillerson meant, but a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman immediately restated China's claim to sovereignty in the region, and insisted that Beijing would be resolute in defending its own rights and interests.

If the Trump administration is to push back against China in the South China Sea it will need support from US allies who ask themselves whether Mr Trump has the strategic focus necessary for such a risky undertaking.

China will naturally encourage those doubts given its preference for making domination of the South China Sea a fait accompli with as little fuss as possible.

But there are many players, many unpredictable variables and many wrong moves in this game.

One week into the new world order, China's leaders may feel some things are playing into their hand. But it will be many months, perhaps years, before they can judge whether China's global gamble is a win against Trump's America.

Atlas Hugged posted:

True story, the vast majority of my friends in Asia are goons. Taiwan's social scene is particularly big so you'd end up friends with goons basically no matter what you did without even realizing it. And given what a cesspool Bangkok is, hanging out with goons is usually the better option.

Haier posted:

So you're in Bangkok, and the family is Chinese? Or they are all Thai? My Thai family p chill and don't complain much (except that one that got arrested for breaking in and stealing stuff from other family members, lol).

Fojar38 posted:

Time to play "BBC or Global Times?"

Outrail posted:

You're guilty of using logic. If someone looks like the same ethnicity as everyone else in the country you're in, you're allowed to start off on the assumption they speak that country's language. Either that or we have to start every conversation with a stranger with "Do you speak [language]?", which is retarded.

Your a Chinese dude in china? Yeah there's an expectation you speak Chinese.
Your a Whitish person in America? Yeah there's an expectation you speak English 'mercn.
Your a Latin in Colombia/Peru/Chile? Yeah there's an expectation you speak Spanish.
Your a Black/White/Latin in Brazil? Yeah there's an expectation you speak Portugese.

Getting upset when that expectation isn't met is stupid and childish though.

I was in Argentina and this guy stopped me in the street and started babbling at me and I didn't understand a word. He switches to broken Spanish and I pick out that he's Brazilian and thought I was too. I explain I'm a gringo dumbass and no I barely speak Spanish and we had a good laugh. Later a bank teller started handing over reais for some reason so maybe I do look Brazilian?

Sheep-Goats posted:

I said hello to a white guy in a bar near me in Taipei and he said "I don't speak English here, I am here to learn Chinese." lol

nickmeister posted:

If he's trying to learn Chinese, why did he come to Taipei????

hakimashou posted:

All the whiteys I met in China who had majored in Chinese or were super into China were weirdos.

quote:

It is a foggy winter day. The air tastes of burning. On the crossroads people are squatting and burning paper iphone 7 rosegolds to the dead. Bungbungche's line the streets waiting for passengers. A stray dog begs. I go inside the agricultural bank. It is hot inside. People still have their winter coats on in the 30c heat. Everyone but the staff is sweating. Drip, drip, drip. A grandmother is leaning on a mop by a brown bucket. Everyone is sniffling, blowing their noses and hacking onto the floor. I get a ticket and wait. Drip. There are ten counters and three bank tellers. A child starts screaming, then the parents let him go. Off he runs doing laps of the chairs slapping their backs. Drip. Slap. A phone rings next to me. Wei? Wei? Wei? A middle aged woman starts screaming at the bank tellers 'Why is this taking so long? I have important things to do. Why cant you go faster? I need to go to a meeting'. The bank tellers say the sorrys then ignore her. Drip. Slap. Wei? The woman storms off saying she'll have them all beaten up and pulls the fire alarm. Drip. Slap. Wei? Alarm. The tellers start telling people to get out, the banks closed, they need to restart the system. Everyone starts yelling. I walk out and put on my mask. No banking for me today.

Glenn Quebec posted:

wait did a goon really call his chiner wife a big baby because he's flying to calgary for work while she's by herself raising a newborn because lol goddamn

Atlas Hugged posted:

ladron posted:

do you live in a grocery store?

Glenn Quebec posted:

wait did a goon really call his chiner wife a big baby because he's flying to calgary for work while she's by herself raising a newborn because lol goddamn

Haier posted:

At dinner I got asked if Americans eat bread at every meal instead of rice.

I'm going for my night time walk. TTYL

Imperialist Dog posted:

Try not to explode in a fireworks barrage

Imperialist Dog posted:

I'm in Shenzhen now, and Haier is right. It's relatively deserted and quiet. I finally found a VPN service that works so I can access the forum's because Google is blocked, and the cloudflare protection's captcha is provided by Google so I couldn't get past verification.

A few fireworks have gone off but so far nothing special, but it might turn into a war zone at midnight.

Most Chinar stuff so far:

1. The hotel we're staying at is the Military Police Hotel. Do the profits go there or do they just offer discount, I wonder?

2. We met Grandpa 2. He came to Hong Kong around Christmas and it was his first trip "abroad" and was constantly complaining that things were not as good as his hometown. He also refused to visit any historical or cultural sites and only ate at the hotel restaurant. Tonight he is talking about how Hong Kong is overrated with terrible food.

3. We're at my wife's cousin's place. Uncle has been chain-smoking since we got here four hours ago. The flat has smoky haze in the air and the kids' clothes smell like we all went to a scummy nightclub.

4. We're watching the CCTV New Year Craptacular. Everyone is ignoring it and playing on their phones except for Grandpa 2 who thinks it's fantastic.

5. At dinner, Uncle was baffled as to why Canada has geese walking around. Why aren't they eaten? He then said goose is evidence of why Chinese food is better.

Lazer Monkey posted:

no, read it again.

Your ABC via Reuters posted:

Beijing city officials told no Lunar New Year fireworks to crack down on smog

The Beijing city Government has told officials to lead by example and not set off fireworks or firecrackers to welcome the Lunar New Year to help prevent smog, after the city was blanketed in a choking haze earlier this month.

The Chinese New Year holiday, which begins on Friday, is normally marked by riotous displays of fireworks and countless firecrackers, which are thought to bring good luck and scare off evil spirits.

The fireworks blacken the skies with smoke for hours.

But in recent years with public concerns about air pollution mounting, the Government has tried to limit the use of pyrotechnics.

In a statement, the Beijing city Government said officials must "take the lead" in not setting off fireworks or firecrackers.

"Have firm environmental protection consciousness and a sense of responsibility," it said.

"Proactively guide family members and friends not to let off or to limit the letting off of fireworks and firecrackers, improve air quality together and get into the action of ensuring blue skies for the capital."

The Government has already limited firework sales in Beijing, with 511 fireworks stalls approved this year compared with 719 last year, none of them in central Beijing, the official China Daily said.

Other parts of the country are also cracking down.

Central Henan province has banned their use in all cities and towns and Hebei's Baoding city is threatening to detain anyone setting off fireworks outside four days of celebration.

Efforts to clean up the skies in the northern industrial heartland, which includes Beijing, are being thwarted by coal-burning industry and indoor heating, which increases during China's winter months, especially in the bitterly-cold north.

The Lunar New Year, which marks the start of the Year of the Rooster, sees the largest annual mass migration on Earth, as hundreds of millions of workers pack trains, buses, aircraft and boats to spend the festival with their families.

For many Chinese people, it is their only holiday of the year.

Reuters

Imperialist Dog posted:

I'm in Shenzhen now, and Haier is right. It's relatively deserted and quiet. I finally found a VPN service that works so I can access the forum's because Google is blocked, and the cloudflare protection's captcha is provided by Google so I couldn't get past verification.
....
2. We met Grandpa 2. He came to Hong Kong around Christmas and it was his first trip "abroad" and was constantly complaining that things were not as good as his hometown. He also refused to visit any historical or cultural sites and only ate at the hotel restaurant. Tonight he is talking about how Hong Kong is overrated with terrible food.

Haier posted:

She switched it up to that she loves me and needs me, and I said that was gross and I am gay because it is the year of the cock now. That didn't work either. I blocked her.

Jeoh posted:

5000 Years of History: We are all gay in the year of the cock

Haier posted:

My first Chinese New Year, and celebrate cock!

The grandparents brought these green leaves from Beijing that are some sort of delicacy. They are just tree leaves. They told me they are very expensive right now because everyone wants them, but the grandparents got wise and found one of the trees growing in their Beijing neighborhood, so they picked them and brought them. They told me this after I had eaten several. God loving drat it. I have now consumed Beijing smog. AMA?