Is China’s economy finally hitting the breaking point? Politicians around the
world continue to prove why we shouldn’t have voted for them. And China wants
to build a nuclear power plant…in Saudi Arabia. What could go wrong.
Welcome to China Uncensored, I’m Chris Chappell.
This episode is sponsored by Surfshark. Whenever you go online,
you should be using a VPN like Surfshark to cover your tracks and protect your identity.
China’s economy is in bad shape. And I mean bad. It’s in such bad shape that
if their economy were a person, they’d be Brendan Fraser’s character from The Whale.
Although the economy’s actually been shrinking, so I guess it’s more like Thinner.
Now, finally, some foreign companies are wising up to how bad things are.
Billions of dollars are flowing out of Chinese markets,
in what one economist calls a “seismic” change.
Which is fitting, since the CCP is like an earthquake:
mostly in how they aren’t good for infrastructure.
The Chinese stock markets have been falling for weeks,
but not like this. The CCP was getting worried, so this week they did a bunch
of stuff to shore up the markets, like reducing taxes on stock trades.
It seemed to work! The markets rallied on Monday. And then a bunch of foreign
investors used it as an opportunity to sell off their stocks at slightly higher prices—and get
the hell out of dodge. In just one day, foreign investors unloaded $1.1 billion dollars worth.
Which, somehow, I don’t think is what the CCP intended.
It’s not just stock traders that are concerned about putting their money in
China. There are even greater fears from big US companies.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said this
week that many US firms complain China is becoming “uninvestible”—
because of “exorbitant fines without any explanation, revisions to the counterespionage
law which are unclear, [and] raids on [US] businesses” inside China.
They’re just now figuring this out now?
I’ve been saying for ten years to stop investing in China, because things are not going to go well
for you there. Hopefully this time they’ll finally pull out for good… but I won’t get my hopes up.
They’re as quick to wise up on China as Charlie Brown is at kicking that football.
And yet, as Commerce Secretary Raimondo said all this—she was visiting China,
attempting to improve ties.
Because while China yanked the football away the last 497 times,
*this* time might actually be different!
She assured Chinese leaders that the US does *not* want to decouple from China.
Which is probably true. The US does not want to decouple from China. But it needs to.
It doesn’t need to do it overnight. But if US companies continue to rely on trade with China,
there’s going to be big, big trouble down the line—like if China’s economy collapses,
or if China invades Taiwan and we end up at war. I swear, it’s like talking to a
child! I know you *want* to touch the squirrel , but it’s going to bite you!
In other words, the Commerce Secretary is either lying about US intentions...or she’s being stupid.
Probably the second one, since “Ms. Raimondo also asked for China’s cooperation on
broader threats like climate change, fentanyl and artificial intelligence.”
Sure, that’s going to go well.
China’s cooperation on climate change? Does she realize China
is approving the equivalent of two new coal power plants every week?
And working with China on fentanyl? That’s absurd. The CCP is *encouraging* Chinese
companies to manufacture and export fentanyl and precursor chemicals. This is part of the
CCP’s drug warfare. Nothing Raimondo says or does will change the CCP’s strategy on this.
And working with China on artificial intelligence is just obviously stupid. Among other things,
the CCP is using AI for its military. The less AI China has, the safer Americans are.
And if you think I’m being extreme, here’s just one example of how the CCP doesn’t take the US
seriously: “Raimondo is the fourth Biden Cabinet official to visit China in recent
months”—but there hasn't been any reciprocation “in terms of top Chinese officials visiting D.C.”
Although to be fair, it’s probably because they’re
all too busy making more coal plants and shipping out fentanyl to kill Americans.
If you’re concerned that some American politicians are stupid
when it comes to China policy, don’t worry. British politicians are, too.
This week, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing,
where he said disengaging with China is just not credible.
Not credible?
That seems like the wrong word, which is just one of the reasons *he* doesn’t seem very credible.
China is the UK’s fourth-largest trading partner. And if I had to
guess, there’s a lot of pressure from UK companies to maintain that relationship.
Despite what should be obvious problems in working with the CCP.
For example, the CCP has taken away the freedoms they promised
residents of former British colony Hong Kong.
The CCP planned to use Huawei equipment to spy on the UK,
so the UK banned Huawei from its 5G networks.
And a couple years ago, China banned five MPs for
criticizing the CCP’s treatment of ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
Yet, despite this, James Cleverly thinks it’s a great idea to keep working with China.
And to further illustrate his stupidity, he told the BBC that when it comes to the war in Ukraine,
“I don’t think it is in China’s interest for there to be a perception they are
supporting actively or even passively Putin’s actions.”
And what happened this week?
Putin has agreed to visit China next month for a Belt and Road forum—at Xi Jinping’s invitation.
And after the break, Chinese fighter planes are getting real close to Taiwan.
Welcome back.
The CCP is yet again ramping up its aggression over Taiwan.
This week, the CCP sent a surge of fighter jets across the median line
between mainland China and Taiwan’s main island.
According to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry, “Beijing had sent 24 aircraft, including fighter jets,
bombers and drones, as well as five warships close to Taiwan...since 9am on Tuesday.”
The CCP started crossing the median line like this about a year ago, but it just keeps getting worse.
Taiwan’s Defence Ministry says, “The continued military harassment by the Communist military
in the region may lead to a sharp increase in tensions and worsen regional security.”
Yeah. That's exactly what the CCP wants.
Apparently, the captain of Taiwan’s Defence Ministry is Captain Obvious.
The US military is also concerned about the CCP’s pending invasion of Taiwan. That’s why
they’re trying to counter the growing size of China’s military with “autonomous systems.”
Specifically, the US goal is to pump out low-cost, reusable autonomous systems—basically drones—at
a scale of multiple thousands, in multiple domains within the next 18 to 24 months”.
Because as the Deputy US Defense Secretary says,
“Beijing’s main military advantage is ‘mass: more ships, more missiles, more people.’”
That’s…a pretty big advantage. That’s like saying, “The only reason you’d
beat me in an MMA fight is because you’re taller, stronger, and don’t faint at the sight of blood.”
Maybe we should start bulking up.
The CCP isn’t just dangerous when it comes to missiles and drones.
Meta—the company that owns Facebook—said this week
that China is behind the largest ever digital influence operation.
They said, “On Facebook, clandestine users with ties to the authoritarian government
racked up more than 550,000 followers by spouting lies about the United States’
alleged role in creating the COVID-19 pandemic and criticizing Washington’s support of Taiwan.”
That’s insane… that they got that many followers using propaganda
instead of just posting pictures of butts.
Are those Chinese propaganda accounts actually influencing users? And who are these 550,000
people who *follow* these Chinese propaganda accounts? My guess: They include top officials
like Gina Raimondo and James Cleverly. How else could you explain their stupidity on China?
Or maybe they’re just desperately trying to get China to follow them back.
You know what else is stupid when it comes to China policy?
Letting Chinese electric vehicles flood your market.
This is not happening yet in the US. But it is happening in other countries,
including the UK and Australia, where it’s getting some help from the press.
An article this week by an Australian reporter suggested that the Toyota Corolla hybrid might
face some tough competition from the fully electric BYD Dolphin.
If you compare just on price, it’s cheaper to buy the Chinese-made Dolphin. Not cheaper
on the sticker, but the Australian government is offering a $6,000 tax
rebate if you buy an electric vehicle, so that ultimately makes it cheaper.
China is exporting millions of low-cost electric cars every year, all around the world.
But low cost can come with a high price.
Honestly, that should be the official slogan of everything made in China.
“Hey, why does the gumbo in this Chinese-made crockpot smell like
burning asbestos? Eh, it’s probably fine.”
Surveillance expert Christopher Balding says the brakes of the electric vehicles
could be controlled remotely by China—as well as their in-car microphones and GPS.
We’ll have Christopher Balding on our podcast, China Unscripted,
coming out on Monday—so make sure you visit our China Unscripted channel and subscribe.
And after the break—China is starting a trade war with Japan over...environmental concerns?
Welcome back.
I detailed in a previous episode how Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant—the one
that had a meltdown 12 years ago—plans to release treated wastewater into the ocean.
But while the International Atomic Energy Agency has said the treated wastewater release
plan is safe, the CCP—as we all know—has a much higher safety standard. They care
about the safety of their citizens. That’s why nothing ever happened in Tiananmen Square… ever!
Chinese consumers are punishing Japan over the release of this
wastewater. They’re calling for boycotts of all Japanese products.
Strangely, none of this is being censored by China’s internet police. Then again,
it’s not like they censor practically everything. Especially anybody mentioning Tiananmen Square,
since nothing ever happened there… ever.
China also banned seafood imports from Japan—you know, for safety
reasons. Even though Chinese fishermen fish in pretty much the same waters.
Japan may take China to the WTO over this...but good luck getting anything done there.
That’s like telling your teacher on a bully, when the bully is the teacher’s best friend…
*and* taking bribes from them. Man, that’s one rough elementary school.
But hypocrisy is the CCP’s superpower.
Which is why, despite all its alleged concerns over nuclear waste,
China is in talks with Saudi Arabia to build a nuclear power plant there.
Which would be great for Saudi Arabia. Because if
they work with the US to build nuclear power plants, it'll come with all kinds
of restrictions—like not being allowed to enrich uranium to use in nuclear weapons.
But “China is unlikely to require [the Saudi government] to adhere to such requirements.”
China’s acting like the cool parent that lets their kids’ friends drink
and smoke and build nuclear bombs. Why can’t *my* mom be that cool?!
A few years ago, China said they’d like to build 30 nuclear reactors
across “Belt and Road” countries by 2030.
And as we all know, products made in China are the best in the world—especially compared to Japan.
So there’s probably nothing to worry about with Chinese nuclear reactors.
And when Saudi Arabian fish suddenly have three eyes? Perfectly natural.
As I’ve been predicting for years now, the CCP did so much damage with its one-child
policy that it’s going to over-correct by trying to force people to have children.
In 2016, they changed the one-child policy to a two-child policy. In 2021,
they changed the two-child policy to a three-child policy.
And now in 2023, they’re offering straight-up cash to encourage people to have more kids.
One Chinese county is now giving out cash rewards for couples if the bride is age 25 or younger.
They’re willing to spend a lot of cash on women but only if they’re under 25?
Are we talking about the CCP or Leonardo DiCaprio?
Changshan county in eastern China wrote on their official WeChat account
last week that the reward aimed to promote “age-appropriate marriage and childbearing”.
But don’t go rushing to China to claim your reward. They’re only offering 1,000 Yuan,
which is about 137 US dollars. So like many things made in China, this probably won’t
work as intended. And that money especially won’t go very far, since China’s economy
Isn’t in the best shape right now.
And this episode is sponsored by Surfshark.
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Once again, I’m Chris Chappell. Thanks for watching China Uncensored.