It's been stated before but Xi must be losing his fucking mind right now - nearly 100k dead across the globe, economies in ruins and soon us Brits might lose our priminister to this horrible blight his citizens concocted.
The guy should just go live in a hole. Or kill himself.
It is far worse than you might think for Xi. Far worse, not that I give a flying fuck for him.
Xi has put a great deal of effort into making China into a great power and future superpower. Now he knows that isn't going to happen. His glittering cities apparently have poor underground infrastructure. Can't drink the tap water. China's medical system is woefully lacking - no primary care system, so everyone runs to the hospital. Doctors who have called attention to the upcoming problem or have criticized his regime's actions re the virus have been arrested, or have just disappeared.
Xi's military has undoubtedly been affected by the ChiCom Flu. Couldn't guess the extent but bet operational and maintenance crews for all Chinese nuclear weapon delivery systems have been locked down for some time.
Xi's economy has been and is taking hits. Taking a while for production to resume. Saw something yesterday to the extent that deficiencies in certain raw material shipments from Africa are also affecting production. Xi can also see an accelerated pullout of certain foreign manufacturers from his country, meaning Chinese job losses. He can also see other countries working hard to develop additional sources for materials and goods China produces. This is on top of the ongoing housing, credit, and debt bubbles.
Speaking of debt, China holds just over one trillion dollars of US debt. Found an interesting article on this subject.
The US owes $1.11 trillion to China, making it the largest foreign lender. It helps China's economy by keeping the yuan fixed to the dollar.
www.thebalance.com
If I owe you a hundred dollars, I have a problem. If I owe you a trillion dollars, you have a problem. Xi has a problem.
He may have underestimated the US economic response to the ChiCom Flu. Xi could be concerned that the printing presses will go all-out and affect the value of Chinese holdings. Or maybe we'll mint one of those trillion-dollar coins and say, "We're paying it off, dude."
This virus has and will affect, to different extents, every country in the world - economically, socially, politically, you name it. And despite Xi's and the CCP's best efforts, China can't duck their actions. They could have let other countries know sooner. They didn't. They could have kept their people from traveling abroad. They didn't. They have made a big deal about selling/supplying test kits/PPE to other countries. Much of the Chinese stuff is no good.
China is also dealing with an outbreak of avian flu, which affects poultry and egg supplies.
The spread of bird flu types H5N1, H7N9 and H5N6 in China is closely connected to poultry trade networks rather than just wild bird migration, researchers have found.
www.scmp.com
archived 6 Apr 2020 23:02:03 UTC
archive.vn
And let's not forget the ongoing outbreak of African swine flu. China STILL doesn't seem to have it under control. Pork is China's preferred meat, and the Chinese eat a lot of it. Been
When the deadly virus was first discovered in China, authorities told the people in the know to keep quiet or else. Fearing reprisal from Beijing, local officials failed to order tests to confirm outbreaks and didn’t properly warn the public as the pathogen spread death around the country.
www.reuters.com
archived 6 Apr 2020 23:05:44 UTC
archive.vn
U.S. exports of pork to China have doubled this year, as President Xi Jinping tries to thread the needle between a swine flu epidemic that has decimated the nation’s pig population and a stubborn, seemingly intractable trade war.
www.forbes.com
archived 6 Apr 2020 23:19:24 UTC
archive.vn
And all this is on top of all the other problems - the Muslims in camps, environmental problems, demographic problems, you name it.
Face it, what China has done, intentionally or unintentionally, re this virus is no less than an act of war upon the rest of the world. Xi knows there will be retaliation of some sort, not military, but in other forms. And I would opine if Prime Minister Johnson dies of this disease, the UK will indeed be pissed. Can see them coordinating or joining the USA in certain retaliatory moves.
Xi is riding a wild tiger, and he has no idea just what will happen next. Glad I am not him.
I get ya. Getting my DD info updated is all I really needed. Shitty time to change banks I guess.
Yup, planning to change banks after this stuff is all over with. Only reason I've stayed with this bank is the apparent hassle of rerouting my DDs. But I have had enough.
www.ted.com
www.npr.org
