What is your view on China?

[K T Ong]

Wow! I haven't overestimated you at all, Moni!

1. Full marks!

2. That's Chuang Tzu. Spelling mistake!

3. It's the Shui Hu Zhuan by Shi Nai'an (trad. 1296 ~ 1370) -- the title being translated variously as Water Margin, Outlaws of the Marsh, or All Men are Brothers. The barbarian's name is Wu Song. The novel's about the adventures of a band of heroes -- 108 of them, some female, too -- who form an insurgent peasant army in an attempt to overthrow the corrupt ruling dynasty. You can try find it at amazon.com if you're interested.

4. Close! It's the San Guo Yanyi or Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (14th century). The man is Guan Yu -- or Guan Yunchang if you want the full name. I think there's someone on this message board who has named himself after him.

5. Full marks!

And for that you get a prize of... Uhhh, sorry, I haven't anything for ya... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Originally posted by K T Ong: And for that you get a prize of... Uhhh, sorry, I haven't anything for ya... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Oh but there is a prize! More knowledge! I accept it with gratitude!
I've saved the book titles so that I don't forget them and will make sure to read them. Thank you! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[K T Ong]

You're welcome! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Avatar]

Originally posted by WillowIX: quote: quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by WillowIX: 1 bilion people and terrifying abortion laws... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted by Avatar: Hi WillowIX, but can you clarify this please? I am not aware of any different abortion laws than here in Britain. I mean many people think China is awful place from information they got 5 or 10 years ago. but remember China changes rapidly everyday.

Well, I do hope they have changed! They do have a population problem in China so you can (could?) only have one child per family without a special authorization. If you have a second "illegal" child that would be killed by a poisonous injection at birth before he/she takes his/hers first breath... As a doctor I kinda disagree with that treatment...[/QUOTE]

Mmmmmm... Out of all the comments that everyone has made this one has no basis and is definitely not true for the past 20 years (that's one heck of a lot in modern Chinese years ).
Having a 2nd or more child is LEGAL in china. You will only not receive free education and medical care.
The problem is educated people in China are not having children or only one (just like Europe), whereas peasants out of insecurity are having multipe children like Africa. Another fact is that these children ALL live because the standard of living has increased dramatically.
Poverty maybe in rural areas but FOOD and CLOTHING is NO longer a problem. Even the poorest have food in abundance! This in many respects has caused a surge in population in the countryside.


Azred, Another thing is that Communist Party is a bland form as the doctrine has deviated and evoluted severely. For example China is heavily building up it's economy and trading with western countries. Corruption is the ONE major problem in China and also there are no proper tax laws! The laws of a communist state are trying to cope with a westernised 21st century market!
If there are any other areas of China that people would like me to go into, I am more than happy! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 08-23-2002, 05:25 AM: Message edited by: Avatar ]

[K T Ong]

Originally posted by Avatar: The laws of a communist state are trying to cope with a westernised 21st century market!

And not coping too badly either!

[Avatar]

Originally posted by K T Ong: quote: Originally posted by Avatar: The laws of a communist state are trying to cope with a westernised 21st century market!

And not coping too badly either! [/QUOTE] Yes it's doing okay but the problem is, if we suddenly turn all democratic we will face problems Russia face. So the change must be slow and must have SUFFICIENT Judicial reforms to support it!

[K T Ong]

Glad you can understand the Chinese situation, Avatar. Nowadays every Westerner's just belaboring China endlessly for being grossly 'undemocratic'.

It has incidentally been noted that the Confucian thinker Mencius gave full sanction for overthrowing rotten rulers. Democracy is not entirely without roots in the Chinese tradition -- though parliamentary democracy might be.

[Azred]

Originally posted by K T Ong: To Azred: And BTW, you've switched the positions of the Tao and the Te.

Even I cannot always be right. [img]graemlins/laugh3.gif[/img] The version I have is listed on the cover as te-tao.... I probably should get a second version just to see how different they really are. Being philosophical, every translator/editor will interpret the text differently.

Avatar, I think the next 20 years will see great changes happen in China.

[Avatar]

Originally posted by Azred: Avatar, I think the next 20 years will see great changes happen in China.[/QB]

"There's nothing that dates faster than a vision of the future............." except men in hot cars

Yes, i think that's right. With the entry of into the WTO, China faces HUGE competition, just as much as western industries do so too. Chinese Agriculture is under heavy fire from mass produced grains grown in USA and Australia.
Chinese car manufacturers are dying quickly if they don't either reform or co-operate with western manufacturers. However, ultra cheap Chinese wide screen TVs will kill the western market. 32" TVs are found in China at 500 Yuan, that's less than £40!!! I mean who cares about the quality, I'm a student!

[K T Ong]

One's fear is that once China's level of industrialization seriously matches that of the 'developed' countries, the strain that human economic activity exerts on the biosphere will become intolerable, given the massive population of China. Just imagine one billion people all becoming as affluent as the average American. Can the biosphere take it? No. The world may well be heading for an ecological abyss...

[ 08-23-2002, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: K T Ong ]