Tony
I apologize for sending you on what seems to be a considerably time-consuming but enlightening wild goose chase and especially for toning down the profanity.
Upon further but nominal research, spurred on by your rebuttal, I must admit again, I don't really know what China's WW2 debts are at all and whether they have been paid off. It seems extremely convoluted (US Lend-Lease program) and difficult to track down reliably - published books tending to be significantly more reliable than internet searches.
The core issue was China was repaying war debts to the former USSR in part, using grain, which exacerbated an already bad domestic situation.
As mentioned and apparently verified, I was surprised that the UK repaid it's sizable war debt to the USA in full, to include interest payments. Not surprised that the UK repaid it - but surprised that the USA did NOT forgive the war debt, as it had with Japan and Germany - which were actually war reparations - a debt with a different name.
Geezer - similar regrets - it was NOT my intention to focus on war debts or reparations due diligence activities - but on the issue of sustainable healthcare for the masses.
The motivating philosophy was, "what kind of legacy/world would I like to leave behind for my children" and in a more practical and pragmatic perspective - if they worked for a company I helped found - what kind of sustainable health benefits would I want them to "inherit". The issue goes beyond healthcare - to the end of career retirement benefits.
Retirement benefits are at risk both here in China, Japan, and the USA (dunno about ANZ or UK), because of how the plans were structured (perpetual growth pyramid scheme).
So, in addition to robust sustainable healthcare, a robust sustainable retirement or retirement savings plan would also be in the mix.
This would perhaps go a long way to address any employee's biggest fear - long-term security, assuming the company had the ability to also be a long-term sustainable company, spanning the 30+ year employment cycle.
Interview: Brian Eyler on Baihetan, China's second largest dam
发布者First - excellent and informative article. Although I absolutely must concur with some of the views of the expert - the facts are always not so obvious, when one chooses to micro-focus on subsystems as opposed to expanding one's view to a larger system. This is a popular management trend called decision-based data as opposed to data-driven decisions. So agreement, disagreement, or no opinion - depends on one's perspective.
Most westerners, especially those with hidden or obvious political agendas, look at China as they look at the west - a free market based economy.
China is a planned economy and certain infrastructures are built looking forwards decades.
China's energy consumption trajectory is not considered by the author, so let's take a look at that subjectively or qualitatively, since I'm too lazy to do the research numbers.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN KUNMING
Our hot water heaters used to be gas powered - but we had to replace the "damned" thing every two years because of the buildup of ash (aka toxins - seriously...green flecks in the ash - what is that? Chromium?) from the dirty gas. We switched to a combination of solar and electric (which do NOT work in tandem).
The prolific construction of new high-rises do not permit the effective use of solar in high density residential communities (e.g. most real estate development mega projects in Kunming are around the 2k residence level. So on demand electric systems make more sense.
COOKING
We haven't switched to electric because the power grid where we live simply won't handle the load (much less our ancient wiring). New high rise developments come with the option of gas or electric - with most choosing electric. It's fast, clean, and doesn't expose the stove components to cooking spillage. We've replaced our gas stove twice in the last 8 years - but to be fair - the last replacement was required because we switched to a new "cleaner" gas.
E-BIKES
Prolific.
MASS TRANSIT
The subway - electric powered. Buses moving towards electric power. And automobiles - e-powered vehicles are an emerging phenomenon with incredibly central government support and subsidies. Occasionally, you'll spot that rare BYD electric powered taxi (the SUV). China is migrating as much as its domestic infrastructure off fossil fuel dependence as possible.
So just from our own personal experiences and observations - consumer-based consumption of electric services is increasing at a steady pace.
ENVIRONMENTAL
There is no argument about the destruction of surrounding habitats and the migration of valley dwellers. This is a management issue for the government as they strive for poverty elimination. A large part of China's poverty elimination program is focused on attracting rural workers to cities, with jobs, education, and the ever upwardly mobile opportunities that education can provide - hence that insane construction pace. Kunming is planned to grow to a size of 10 million (but don't know the date on that plan).
Last time I checked - the city is at about 6.6 million, so we have another 3.4 million to go - so those 2000 unit mega developments (assume a family size of 4) housing up to 4 people, not including grandparents, in-laws, and others - 8k per development. That means ROUGHLY we'll need another 425 real estate development projects to house those 3.4 million additional residents.
That's another 850k families (3.4 mil/4,assuming a family unit of 4) consuming energy, services, infrastructure, e-bikes, cooking, water, toilet flushing, etc etc etc.
And that's JUST Kunming - there are 15 other prefectural level cities with supposed urban sprawl magnet program requirements as part of the nation's poverty elimination strategies.
So the author points out the displacement of a few thousand to a few hundred thousand people. Cast that against 3.4 million and things perhaps aren't quite as obvious - and again, that is ONLY based on Kunming plans. As we all noticed with the formerly famous and internationally maligned Chenggong ghost city (not so ghostly anymore), planned economies can be sustainably successful. And we didn't even discuss all the government (schools, 2 fly toilets, etc) and commercial infrastructures (restaurants, businesses, etc ad infinitum) that spawn from those residential communities. And we haven't even begun to address the energy sucking behavior of the internet and all its derivative industries - data centers, cloud computing centers, distributed corporate IT migration strategies.
Easy to criticize a microscopic spot than to manage the mega complicated system that is China.
However - that said - the author's points ARE valid and we do need alternate perspectives, so we understand the cost/benefit trade-off more responsibly.
And...I'll just get off that soapbox now...
Film Review: Paths of the Soul
发布者I'm thinking that's a pretty aerobic pilgrimage...
Editorial: Hydro expansion will fail without energy market reform
发布者um...yes - I actually meant central Asia - neighboring countries closer than say Shanghai, that would appreciate energy and be willing (maybe) to pay competitive rates for it (as opposed to just dumping the power potential).
Editorial: Hydro expansion will fail without energy market reform
发布者China is ramping up the use of e-vehhicles - which should take some of the capacity. I'm also wondering about whether we're exporting power to SE asia, which would seem to be an excellent market, and to the middle east where they DEFINITELY need power along the OBOR (one belt, one road).
1920s China through the lens of Joseph Rock: Simao
发布者I'm thinking his romanizations can be forgiven, given that putonghua was not standard and he's probably hearing a variety of dialectic Kunming hua and the incredibly diverse minority languages and dialects, when the locals or guides provide descriptions of various names and places, not to mention the various linguistic eccentricities of the various european missionaries.