Xi Jinping has led the most powerful political party in the world for ten years, The Chinese Communist Party, and at 69 has been given another five year term in office. With the close of the CCP Congress it was obvious Xi had consolidated his position of power within China, and will dominate decision making internally and externally, with Xi loyalists appointed to all key positions.

The question is, how does Xi Jinping stack up against other world leaders, Biden, Trump and Johnson should they make a return, even our man Albanese, alone with the lesser leaders of the West. How does he compare to Putin in Russia , and so on. Will our Western leaders be able to match it with Xi? As a strong political leader Xi may run rings around our mediocre bunch of halfwits.

Dear Paul,

By what criteria does Xi make our leaders look like a bunch of halfwits? I appreciate living in a country where there are free elections, and where the leader of the country when defeated in an election will concede and graciously wish the new leader well.

Hi David,

I believe China has the Worlds best system of Government....for China, AND, Australia has the Worlds best system of Government.... for Australia, we are both lucky, few countries can claim that. We kid ourselves into believing we can change the hamster on the wheel, and he is free to go in the opposite direction. Not so, we can change the hamster alright, but the poor creature must always go in the appointed direction. Any attempt to change direction will see that hamster quickly replaced.

A little anecdote; When I was at public high school in my senior years, the positions of School Captains, boy and girl, and those of the Prefects was determined extremely democratically, we had a very progressive Head Master (As the always male head was called), All students and teachers were given a vote, a complex weighted system according to your class, 1st years one vote, seniors and teachers six votes, very complex. When all the votes were tallied, and the "winners" determined, all was so democratic and also such a secret ballot, couldn't ask for more, but then the Head Master had the power of veto, which he exercised often I believe including in my senior year, excluding a couple of undesirables from the ranks. When I was at Catholic School, no such democracy existed the Head Master (Brother) simply appointed his choices as School Captain, etc, how undemocratic can you get!

Australia is like the public school when it comes to democracy, China is like the catholic school.

By what criteria does Xi make our leaders look like a bunch of halfwits? Personal observation, some, not all are halfwits, in fact some are totally useless, while some are to varying degrees reasonable. Could any do the job of Xi Jinping, most likely not, different horses at different courses.

Dear Paul,

Five more years of Xi Jinping?

When we try to interpret China by our rules -
we'll probably get it wrong. Who can really
tell what Xi Jinping is really like? Does he
have a real face? He's been described as a
successful Chinese leader who follows Chines
political tradition that's been circulating
for thousands of years. I'm not sure what that
even means.

My concern is - will China want a return to the
glory of the past - as Putin is planning for Russia?
Where does Taiwan fit into all this? Does Xi Jinping
have absolute power? Or does real power lie elsewhere?

Will the CCP be capable of being modernised? So many
questions - so few answers. Thanks for raising this
topic for discussion - but I have to confess - all most
of us can do - is watch and learn, and hope for the best.

Xi wasn't "given another five year term in office"...he took it having eliminated by all means fair and foul anyone who could oppose him now or in the future.

He is a dictator for life. The only question is how long that life will be. As a dictator there are no limits on his power which is why he is able to engage in the current genocide against disfavoured minorities in his empire.

Given his elevated position, disconnected from the lives of his subjects, he is currently residing over the slow but accelerating decline in modern China.

China is now entering a period of declining population and in particular, declining workforce. As many have been saying for two decades now, China will get old before it gets rich. The demographics behind China's rise are now working against it. Its not Xi's fault but he hasn't been able to alter the trajectory either.

Xi's idiotic zero-Covid policy is playing havoc with the nation's economy but he can't back out of it now without losing face.

Economically, China is now in serious trouble. Trump launched the trade war with the US's main foe and, to its credit and many people's surprise, the current regime have maintained the pressure. The most recent moves by the US to restrict China's access to western chip technology will have major negative effects on the Chinese economy while the growing stampede of departures by western companies is the result of Xi's policies and inability to react to the US pressure.

The only outstanding question now is how China will handle decline - internal revolt, internal suppression or external adventurism. The world is preparing for the latter.

Of course, many an old Marxist have never seen a leftist dictator they don't swoon over and Paul is no exception

Yet many others swoon over fraudsters like Donald Trump.
Go figure. Absolute power and all that.

"Absolute power and all that"

Absolute power? Yet voted out of office. Logic takes a holiday.

"others swoon over fraudsters like Donald Trump."

Only those who understand, or bother to try to understand, his policies.

Foxy,
Xi is engaged in an act of genocide. I know you try to avert your eyes from that but are you really comparing him to Trump?

Dear Paul1405,

You wrote: "I believe China has the Worlds best system of Government....for China, AND, Australia has the Worlds best system of Government.... for Australia,"

In Hong Kong where people were able to express their opinion they apparently didn’t want the Chinese system of government. They were then shut up by that government. Same in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan and Sinkiang province. In Australia we have the opportunity to change the government. We can also change the system of government by making changes in the Constitution. China does not have the best system of government for China if that government is what the Chinese people want or are satisfied to live under.

Mao said:

"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun... whoever has an army has power, for war settles everything."

That is not right for any society, but it is the present system in China.

Hi David,

When I said China and Australia respectively have the "best system of Government", I did not say they have the perfect systems of Government, each has its flaws, each has it advantages. Its easy for one to bucket on the other, China has many problems, its history is one of war, colonial upheaval and social instability, poverty, starvation, things that Australia fortunately has never experienced to the same degree, and hopefully never will. You mention Hong Kong and Taiwan, certainly problems for China, but look where those problems stem from, colonialism and civil war. Modern China has had a very difficult birth, it continues to suffer growing pains and will for sometime to come.

Mao Zedong did say that, but he has been dead for almost 50 years, a tyrant who was a product of China's environment of war and dysfunction. The naysayers sit waiting for the collapse of China, what they seem to forget is the downfall of China would result in far worse outcomes for the rest of the world than a stable and prosperous China brings under Communist rule.

mhaze,

No. Trump is in a class all by himself - as are
his supporters.

Just to expand on my comments above....

It's long been known that China faces a demographic cliff in the next decade. This primarily arises due to the anti-human one child policy which simultaneously hollowed out an entire generation but also left that generation with the worst male-to-female imbalance in history. Then when that generation came of age, they refused to repopulate and even after the one-child policy was removed, continued to have small families.

No-one should believe Chinese statistics, but even they show that the population is starting to decline. But unofficial statistics show that the decline is much greater and that the official numbers may be over-stated by 100 million. Worse, all of that 100 million is in the child-bearing generation and so the decline in numbers coupled with the aging demographic means a very troubling few decades for China. Some estimates have its population halving by 2060.

____________________________________________________________________

Ever since Trump launched a trade war with Xi, the inherent instability in the Chinese model was apparent. Basically, they were utterly reliant on the west for their growth but at the same time sought to displace the west.

In recent days, the US has dramatically upped the ante by further restricting US exports of high-end and medium level silicon chips to China. Whatismore, it is now telling US tech workers in China to get out or risk repercussions when they finally decide to return home. And they are getting out in a hurry. Consequently, overnight the Chinese stock-market suffered massive and unprecedented losses primarily in their tech sector.

China has shown that they are incapable of making high-end chips - this is one reason why they desperately want Taiwan which can do so. Without these chips, expect Chinese manufacturing to become increasingly uncompetitive.

Things are unravelling in a hurry for Xi. Expect him to lash out as a result.

Dear Paul,

The problems in Hong Kong do stem from the West as you mention. However, they stem from some good things about the West. The West has certain freedoms - the right to free expression - the right to select the government. Hong Kong was acquired by England as a result of a horrible act by the West - the opium wars. However, under western occupation the people of Hong Kong learned and enjoyed certain freedoms. They want to keep those freedoms, but those freedoms are not consistent with the policies of a one party state which controls the media and curbs dissent. What has happened in Hong Kong is that the people have enjoyed certain freedoms found in western societies, and they want to keep those freedoms. At first the Chinese government gave a certain amount of leeway to Hong Kong - one government - two systems. However, the Hong Kong system proved incompatible with the Beijing tyranny.

Hi David,

I support self determination for both the people of Hong Kong and Taiwan. Those Western rights and freedoms you speak of, if tested to the enth degree may not be accepted by the powers that be in such a benign way. I hope our society never reaches a point where true democracy has to be tested to the limit. The only time post war has our democracy been tested and found wanting was during the Whitlam years, when it was shown that a democratically elected government can be replaced by the actions of the privileged un-elected usurping democracy. Could it happen again, of course, will it happen again, I don't know.

Dear Paul,

I support freedom not self-determination. Self-determination means a political unit is set up on the basis of a religious or ethnic identity. Those people who are part of the political unit but do not share the political or ethnic identity on which the political unit was set up may become second-class citizens. I think all citizens of every country should have equal rights. That is not always possible if a political unit is set up on the basis of self-determination. Part of a country such as Nunavik in Canada may be set up on such a basis, but a country set up on such a basis is generally oppressive to part of its population.

"At its core, self-determination ‘is concerned with the fundamental right of people to shape their own lives’. In a practical sense, self-determination means that we have the freedom to live well, to determine what it means to live well according to our own values and beliefs."

Hi David,

I simply apply the above to all those living and identifying as Hong Kongers and Taiwanese. I have a good friend from Taiwan, living in Sydney, as she say's to me often; "Paul, I am Taiwanese not Chinese". and I believe her, all my friend wants is for her family back in Taiwan to be safe and protected, she fears the CCP and what it might do, rightly so.

BTW, she also believes America would sacrifice her family as part of the geo-political game, that concerns her as well.

Honestly, post WWII when the world changed forever, when has Australia gone to war to protect "freedom and democracy", politicians say often, I say never.

Dear Paul,

I don't agree with the quotation you cited on self-determination as I don't think it is true. I also don't think any nation has gone to war to protect or advance freedom and democracy although they may claim that in their propaganda.

I am a dual citizen of the US and Australia and feel that, by and large, they are good countries. I can feel that because they have been good to me and my family. Somebody locked up for years in a detention centre will probably feel differently. However, to claim in the Declaration of Independence as Thomas Jefferson did that "all men are created equal" and at the same time own slaves is a monumental act of hypocrisy. I believe that hypocrisy is a universal attribute of nations.

Dear Paul,

We have different identities. We may identify with a nation, with a religion, with an ethnic group or with any other group we care to identify with. Some groups like the Burgundians and the Manicheans disappear while others come into being or continue. If we go back 2,000 years none of us have Christian ancestors that far back.

If we go back 300 years there was no Hong Kong. The name of the territory, first romanised as "He-Ong-Kong" in 1780, originally referred to a small inlet located between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. Eventually, nobody will identify as a Hong Konger.

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), was formerly known as Formosa. The island of Taiwan, together with the Penghu Islands, became a dependency of Japan in 1895, when the Qing dynasty ceded Taiwan Prefecture in the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War. The short-lived Republic of Formosa resistance movement was suppressed by Japanese troops and quickly defeated in the Capitulation of Tainan, ending organized resistance to Japanese occupation and inaugurating five decades of Japanese rule over Taiwan. Its administrative capital was in Taihoku (Taipei) led by the Governor-General of Taiwan.

Taiwan was Japan's first colony and can be viewed as the first step in implementing their "Southern Expansion Doctrine" of the late 19th century. Japanese intentions were to turn Taiwan into a showpiece "model colony" with much effort made to improve the island's economy, public works, industry, cultural Japanization, and to support the necessities of Japanese military aggression in the Asia-Pacific. Eventually, nobody will identify as a Taiwanese.

Hi David,

Our understanding of "self determination" is different and that's fine. The future is difficult to determine at the best of times, right now with a high degree of uncertainty its almost impossible. What lies ahead for both Hong Kong and Taiwan is anyone's guess. I like; "I support freedom", but how do we define "freedom", what does it really mean. Some are free to be poor, some are free to be rich, are we like the goldfish in the bowl, free to swim about, but restricted by things not of our making.

Dear Paul,

Anatole France said, "The rich, as well as the poor, are free to sleep under bridges. Self-determination came into diplomatic use in the Versailles Treaty after WW1. Woodrow Wilson, president of the US, pushed it. It determined how the three main defeated powers were treated. The Turkish Empire was broken up with mandates (like colonies) controlled by the British and French. Peoples thought not worthy of having their own countries like Arabs and Kurds would be controlled by the British and French. The Austrian Empire was broken up into countries like Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Wilson was a racist and apparently thought that lesser peoples, like Hungarians and Czechs, having their own countries would not want to come to the US. Germany, except for the Polish Corridor and Alsace and Lorraine was left intact. Self-determination was a consequence of the racist vision of Woodrow Wilson.

Typical of the village idiot to fawn over a Marxist dictator.

In his 10 years of power Xi has cemented his power and appointed himself leader for life. He's purged the ranks of any possible opposition and surrounded himself with yes men. The censorship and party control strip anyone that isn't a CCP member of any rights.

His political acumen is countered by his economic and diplomatic incompetence and the only person he has run rings around is himself. The Chinese economy is slowly imploding. Xi encouraged the housing bubble using its proceeds to finance his goals including expanding the PLA and navy, and when it grew too large instead of slowing it he cut off the credit of many of the developers and created a housing crisis that makes the GFC look like a hiccup. Even after pouring $Ts into construction, the sector is falling apart. Foreign companies have been bullied and many are leaving.

Xi was threatened by Alibaba's and 10Cent's success and clamped down on the tech sector so it lost 75% of its value. The Chinese stock market is corrupt and steadily falling as no one trusts the local regulator.

Xi's wolf warriors and expansionist efforts have turned most countries' attitudes from welcoming to mistrustful to the point where most countries now regard China as a threat.

My opinion is that Xi has done more damage to China than a swarm of US carrier groups could hope for.

The Village Nazi, has been posting nonsense about China for the couple of years he's been a Forum member. His entire knowledge stems from reading the menu down at the 'Golden Dragon Take-Away'. Shonky do yourself a favour and order the Chow Main and keep away from the egg noddles.

Hi David,

When Thomas Jefferson wrote "all men are created equal" he was referring to White Anglo-Saxon males, not women, and certainly not Negros or Indians, heaven forbid. If you were transported back in time to 1787 and confronted Jefferson with a claim of hypocrisy, he would be surprised and most likely outraged with your suggestion. He would expect that saying "all men are created equal" would be clearly understood, and needed no clarification. If you said; "What about the black slaves?" Jefferson would have retorted with a glassy stare ; "WHAT ABOUT THEM!"

Dear Paul,

At the same time Jefferson profited from slavery he was uneasy about it.

https://www.monticello.org/thomas-jefferson/jefferson-slavery/jefferson-s-attitudes-toward-slavery/

"Throughout his entire life, Thomas Jefferson was publicly a consistent opponent of slavery. Calling it a “moral depravity”1 and a “hideous blot,”2 he believed that slavery presented the greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation.3 Jefferson also thought that slavery was contrary to the laws of nature, which decreed that everyone had a right to personal liberty.4 These views were radical in a world where unfree labor was the norm.

At the time of the American Revolution, Jefferson was actively involved in legislation that he hoped would result in slavery’s abolition.5 In 1778, he drafted a Virginia law that prohibited the importation of enslaved Africans.6 In 1784, he proposed an ordinance that would ban slavery in the Northwest territories.7 But Jefferson always maintained that the decision to emancipate slaves would have to be part of a democratic process; abolition would be stymied until slaveowners consented to free their human property together in a large-scale act of emancipation. To Jefferson, it was anti-democratic and contrary to the principles of the American Revolution for the federal government to enact abolition or for only a few planters to free their slaves."

Go to the website to find out more

I see that the village idiot has no clue as to what is happening in China. I guess the last thing he read was when Mao was alive.

Pauliar (village Nazi)

If you picked up a book you wouldn't look like a complete twat.

Thanks for that David, I'll take it on board, and change my opinion of Jefferson. What is your assessment of George Washington?

Bad luck Shonky, feeling left out of the conversation. Tut tut.

Dear Paul,

Washington was an unusual person. People respected him, and he wasn't power hungry. He could have been president for life, but he resigned after two terms.

https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/ten-facts-about-washington-slavery/ tells about his relation with slavery.

Except for John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Millard Fillmore all of the 15 presidents before Lincoln owned slaves.

The Bible accepts slavery and doesn't condemn it. In questioning slavery Jefferson and Washington questioned the Christian morality of their time.

The Patriarch of Moscow enthused over Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and the German churches mostly supported Hitler. I question the Christian morality of my time.

Village idiot,

This thread is about Xi and his effect on China something you clearly are supremely ignorant of.

If you and your fellow blowhard wish to wander off-topic to babble about irrelevant trivia then I am delighted to exclude myself.

Hi David,

We have new titles, thanks to the Village Nazi, 'Blowhards', because we talk of these people of interest. I know little of the American 'Founding Fathers', Washington, Jefferson and Franklin being the best known. I think Americans might tend to over eulogise these men, Washington in particular, viewed as a living saint of the times. I'm sure they had their faults just like the rest of us, I do believe George Washington had very bad teeth, but I don't believe he was incapable of telling a lie.

BTW; We want to see the Musical "Hamilton", I could learn some fact from that.

Does China do industrial espionage against the interests of its friends and citizens?
Does it try to manipulate and control the price of energy?

Apparently the West does.

I've heard it reported in several places now over the last day that Truss sent an 'It's done' text message after the Nordstream pipelines were blown up.

Liz Truss sent an "It's done" SMS to US' Blinken, moments after Nord Stream pipelines were blown up.
http://youtu.be/6WDlvlDAdO4

"NUCLEAR WAR With US in Final Phase" Says DPRK. Truss Sent Blinken "It's Done" Message.
http://youtu.be/4B8ueGvSwAc

NYT, talks up Sevastopol attack. Sanctions on Russian grain, food shortages. It’s done.
http://youtu.be/BBI-rMdA588

Anyone wants to winge about the price of energy, Call Biden or Johnson or Truss, ask them for a rebate.
That's ok the Australian people will gladly borrow billions to pay for their 'partners' actions.
- Must keep the war going -

How bout NZ helping kids learn about how the government steals from you?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/01/new-zealand-authorities-apologise-for-encouraging-parents-to-tax-halloween-sweets

Hi AC,

Nothing like a lolly tax, look here in Aussie, the likes of Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest are taking all our "lollies" and flogging then off to he highest bidder and paying no bloody tax at all.

Can you believe this; 2 bottles of 'Baileys' at Auckland Airport $NZ65, (about $A60) at Brisbane same 2 bottles $A90, unbelievable! 'Cadbury Chocolate', made in Tasmania, selling 2 for $NZ5, in Aussie 2 for $A7, this is disgraceful, a national icon being flogged off at an outrageous price! Every Australian should have affordable access to Cadbury's Chocolate, its our god given right! Albo did nothing about the price of Bailey's or chocolate in the budget, what is this country coming to?

AC,

I don't know where you find these fruitcakes on youtube. Your link has a half-wit trying to claim that the warships that the drones attacked were "protecting" the cargo ships transporting grain from Odessa. The main ship that was hit by the drone was Admiral Makarov which is the alternate black sea flagship that has been involved in firing cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilians. Given the secrecy and BS coming from the Russians over this attack and the position in which the explosive drone hit the ship, the damage to the ship is probably severe and the ship is unlikely to see action again for a year or two if it hasn't sunk. As for the other 3 or so, ships also attacked there is no information.

From what I see, the new conscripts are given minimal equipment and ancient rifles and sent directly into the action with zero training. Unsurprisingly they are being massacred by the Ukrainians. Russia is losing so much hardware that it is replacing its lost tanks with 1970s T62s.