The Increasing Power of China

"You can't make anyone feel the way you'd like them to."
-as heard while watching
the TV series KYLE-XY

The following words 'On China' are from
SPRING MOON,
a Novel on China published in 1981
by Bette Bao Lord:

In the world today, what position do we occupy?
Compared to the other peoples of the world we have the greatest population and our civilization is 4,000 years old; we should therefore be advancing in the front rank with the nations of Europe and America. But the Chinese people have only family and clan solidarity; they do not have national spirit. Therefore, even though we have four hundred million people gathered together in one China, in reality they are just a heap of loose sand. Today we are the poorest and weakest nation in the world, and occupy the lowest position in International Affairs. Other men are the carving knife and serving dish, we are the fish and the meat.
-Sun Yat-sen


January 2009:
China did have its day in the sun when it unveiled the opening ceremony of the Olympics on August 8, 2008.

The Zhejiang Wanli University (with support of the WSEAS: World Scientific & Engineering Academy & Society)organized the following parallel conferences for 2009:
COMPUTER ENGINEERING and APPLICATIONS
CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, SIGNAL and TELECOMMUNICATIONS
MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT and MASS TRANSFER

February 2009:
Over the last quarter century, China's economy has evolved from a centrally planned
system mostly closed to international trade to a rapidly growing market-oriented
economy that is the most important player in the global economy. Beginning with the
phasing out of collectivized agriculture, China’s reforms have included price liberalization, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, the development of a diversified banking system, and stock markets. As a result of these reforms, the rapid growth of the private sector, and the opening to foreign trade and investment, China has experienced unprecedented economic growth of between 8 and 12 percent per year. This growth has lifted an estimated 200 million people into the middle class and transformed the economy and consumption patterns. China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001, further boosting GDP growth, direct foreign investment, and exports. Although 75 percent of China’s economic growth comes from domestic sources, its tradition of export-oriented growth has given it foreign exchange reserves of more than $1.3 trillion. Some farming sectors have begun to organize as supply cooperatives to guarantee better prices and collective standards.

China is undergoing the largest internal migration in human history. The official number for rural to urban migration has been
1.5 percent over the last 10 years and is expected to continue requiring China's already overpopulated cities to accommodate another 200 million low-income workers over the next five years. As a result, some projections forecast the rural population to drop to 20 percent of the total by 2027.

March 2009:
Green energy projects increase. China is also reportedly revising its energy development plans to nearly double its nuclear power capacity.

April 2009:
In the few decades since the illegal Chinese invasion of Tibet, Tibetans have seen their ecosystem destroyed, their religion, language, and culture repressed, and systematic oppression and violence against anyone who dares acknowledge Tibetan sovereignty.

The Dalai Lama has been a consistent voice for peace, sharing a "Middle-Way" approach that has gathered accolades from the Nobel Peace Prize to the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. The Dalai Lama has consistently been 'a speaker of truth'. The power of China continues to increase.

May 2009:
China looking to increase solar power goals by order of magnitude.

June 2009:
The Shanghai New International Expo Centre plans a Symposium Exhibit with the CPhI (Chinese Pharmaceutical Industry) in late June 2009.
With new opportunities emerging and new, stricter rules and regulations raising the bar even higher, the pharmaceutical landscape is changing radically. China’s rapidly expanding and diversifying pharmaceutical market is set to enter the world’s top ten in the next five years.


Twenty-five years ago today:

May 19, 1984
Saturday
The day started the early. We ate breakfast. At 8AM, Chris had to report for ‘duty call’ at Humboldt Bay (that’s what they call the Coast Guard base) and I was able to accompany him. I spent just about all day there in ‘observation mode’. I do have my limits though. After a while I left for Clam Beach to breathe so-to-speak.

Chris had made some ‘smart ass’ remarks to annoy me like:
“I left your keys in the car.”

Maybe it was dumb of me but I just needed to escape from that Base anyhow. When Chris was around those guys (Jim, Ed and the others) he seemed less caring. It’s neat in a ‘strange sort of way’ because I would probably do the same around immature 'macho' chums (if I had any). We would not want those chums to have the least amount of suspicion about our ‘secret romance’ after all.

Chris and I had a fun activity of washing my car. I watched them rinse the Coast Guard helicopter.

I enjoyed some nachos at a place called Rosa Linda’s, hanging out there until 10PM. Chris was on-duty for the night shift so I hung out at the house with Barb as we watched “Outland” with Laverne and Thomas (other Coast Guard types). "Outland" was a 1981 dramatic Sci-Fi thriller starring Sean Connery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPXrD5Wa94k
Those two Coast Guard cohorts (Laverne and Thomas) were kind of dull ‘in my book’. They seemed respectable enough but just too ordinary. I was relieved when they left the house. Shortly afterward, Barb and I went to bed (separately, of course).