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The Forum > Article Comments > The coming US-China trade conflict > Comments

The coming US-China trade conflict : Comments

By Derek Scissors, published 17/12/2008

It was thought that China could weather the financial crisis and be a source of relief to some economies. This position was never sensible.

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The fact that no-one has commented on this thread to me indicates two possible reasons:1) People have skimmed the article heading, mentally shoved it into the "Too boring" file and raced off to the whack a mozzie thread instead or - silence signalling consent - have read it uncritically because it aligns with pre-conceived ideas.

I however, find this article interesting. Well, not the article itself - it’s neither well-researched nor thought out and contains many inaccuracies - but the logos.

A popular response to anyone who points out inaccuracies or misrepresentations in articles concerning China which originate in the West, is that we are reacting against CCP propaganda. This article even goes one better and states as a truism that CCP continues to release false statements. A moment’s reflection on the fact that Internet, satellite, and world media are available in China would begin a train of thought that would at least sow a seed of doubt, surely?

But it is the way the article assumes that American interests are not only paramount but that the rest of the world regards them in that light that I find interesting. Along with the way that absolute un-truths are slipped in (e.g.” In the same vein, China has acted to stimulate exports, which reflect local supply, instead of imports…”) .Use of true statements unbalanced by significant information (“Thus, any successful stimulus must focus on consumers, not industrial investment” fails to mention Government spending)
And the complete absence of information regarding moves like the Hong Kong introduction of the RMB economy, distorts the picture even more. No mention anywhere is made of China’s significant other partners, China & Japan, nor of existing tri-partite trade agreements and bail outs to America.

To-day the USA’s first move in manipulating the WTO against China was made. Judging by this article’s reception, one can make an educated guess as to the reaction to this .

Propaganda? Ah, the USA is far too modest: I reckon they can still show the rest of us a thing or two when it comes to propaganda
Posted by Romany, Wednesday, 17 December 2008 5:36:20 PM
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I don't see why there needs to be a conflict.

For years, Japan, Taiwan and now China, have done their best to
rig trade in their favour, to rig their currencies to stay low,
to accumulate all the American Dollars that they could.

Dick Cheney stated years ago, that the American $ was not America's
problem, but everyone else's problem.

The net result is that the Fed will simply wave their magic wand
and create a few extra trillion $, inflation will set in and
all those $ tucked away in the Far East, will lose value fast.

In a sense America now has the Far East over a barrel. If they
don't keep pumping money into the American economy, to keep the wheels on
the cart, all their trillions of $ of savings will fast become
worthless!

So who is winning and who is losing
Posted by Yabby, Wednesday, 17 December 2008 10:31:00 PM
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The US$ is China's problem, unless they convert enough to oil while it's cheap.
Romany: I reckon the silence is because 1) Its very complex economics and almost all statements are likely to be wrong. 2) It is not very emotive...yet.
I'm not so sure this overview is as suspicious as you imply though...
These days I am more alert for Western Right propoganda than Eastern pseudo-communist but you are probably right: Asia is quickly learning from the US as to how to manipulate the press and send out mind-worms.
Posted by Ozandy, Thursday, 18 December 2008 3:10:59 PM
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Hi Ozandy

I'm not sure if we are both reading from the same page here? You said "These days I am more alert for Western Right propoganda..." and that is actually what I was ascribing to this piece.

These days I hesitate often to comment on this forum as regards Western propaganda - especially as it relates to China - due to the tendancy of those who don't agree to label one with rather strange names. But this article so typified what I have been highlighting that I was impelled to point it out.

For many years people actually could write what they liked about China with impunity as very few people from China itself could read enough English to understand what was being said. Things are changing now, however the result of years of one-sided and un-corrected commentary from the West has resulted in a mindset
that has come to believe Western commentary as if it were handed down on two clay tablets.

When one does attempt to point out inaccuracies or deliberate manipulation others tend to refer back to other equally inaccurate and unrefuted information to make their point.

I see it as an absolutely classic manifestation of propaganda working seamlessly and insiduously to shape opinions.
Posted by Romany, Friday, 19 December 2008 2:58:25 AM
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