China - 3rd World Nation or about to Surpass us?

[Animal]

There isn't much in the news that I have heard, but I am hearing a few stories that things aren't going well inside China and their economy. They have held strong on the tarriff war, but I also heard that they have silently revoked some of their tarriffs on the US. I also heard one report that they are having mass demonstrations, plant closings, people not being paid, riots, etc over cancelled orders and shipments to the US.

I would think if it had really gotten to that point that they couldn't keep it out of the news.

[Burn1dwn]

This article talks about the supposed "Whitelist" of exempted US products from Chinese tariffs and plants growth retracting. Sounds like the tariffs could be hampering it but it's also still recovering from the pandemic shut down.

Says the pay gap between Chinese workers and American workers is unlikely to change.

The article doesn't talk about riots and civil unrest. But does say China is running out of copper.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/intern ... 790476.cms

[Animal]

This article talks about the supposed "Whitelist" of exempted US products from Chinese tariffs and plants growth retracting. Sounds like the tariffs could be hampering it but it's also still recovering from the pandemic shut down.

Says the pay gap between Chinese workers and American workers is unlikely to change.

The article doesn't talk about riots and civil unrest. But does say China is running out of copper.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/intern ... 790476.cms

good article. thank you.

i have heard nothing about the copper shortage, but that sounds pretty ominous. I know that part of China's maneuvering the past several years is to make huge deals with countries all over the world for supplies of various things. I would think that Copper would be one of them. But for them to run completely out, down to ZERO copper in June of this year? That's hard to imagine. think of all of the things made in China that have copper in them. That's insane.

trade war or no trade war, it sounds like Copper might be the achilles heal.

[CHEEZY17]

The cracks are forming.

China is not this indestructible behemoth like many folks want us to believe.
Their economy is largely smoke and mirrors. We have all seen those giant empty cities with no people but lots of cool tall buildings.
They NEED us whether they will admit it or not.
Imagine a billion unhappy people if things hit the fan. Beijing will be tough as nails publicly but anyone that knows their economy knows that they were already on shaky ground and it aint getting better.
I suspect we will see some face saving movement from both sides pretty soon.

[Animal]

The cracks are forming.

China is not this indestructible behemoth like many folks want us to believe.
Their economy is largely smoke and mirrors. We have all seen those giant empty cities with no people but lots of cool tall buildings.
They NEED us whether they will admit it or not.
Imagine a billion unhappy people if things hit the fan. Beijing will be tough as nails publicly but anyone that knows their economy knows that they were already on shaky ground and it aint getting better.
I suspect we will see some face saving movement from both sides pretty soon.

Here's the thing. China has no problem printing money and pushing it into its economy for any reason. I have expected their entire economy to fall like a house of cards. But that hasn't happened. Japan built their economy way too fast and they paid a price that they still haven't recovered from. I would think that China would be even more vulnerable than they were.

If this trade war, that is just a month old now, makes them come crawling then they are hiding some much bigger problems.

[Burn1dwn]

According to the Israeli Citizen Ben Shapiro, China has a "get out of jail free card".

Blockading Tawain and all it's semiconductors from being exported.

[CHEEZY17]

Yes, this one is Red State so it is admittedly right leaning:
China Now Blinking in Tariff Battle As Angry Chinese Workers Protest Unpaid Wages, Layoffs
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2025/05 ... s-n2188600

Others:

China sees surge in worker protests over unpaid wages, factory closures and US tariffs
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/ch ... r-AA1DZBAN

Furious Workers Riot as Factories in China Collapse Under Trump’s Tariffs
https://tennesseestar.com/economy/furio ... 025/05/01/

[CHEEZY17]

Reports now that China is quietly creating a list of American products exempt from their tariffs.

[Burn1dwn]

Reports now that China is quietly creating a list of American products exempt from their tariffs.

The "Whitelist". Kind of racist if you ask me.

[stonedmegman]

China is selling US LNG to Europe at a price that offsets the tariffs.

[CHEEZY17]

China is selling US LNG to Europe at a price that offsets the tariffs.

Europe sure loves natural gas from China and Russia.
The Euroweenies are basically funding Russia's invasion.

EU imports of Russian fossil fuels in third year of invasion surpass financial aid sent to Ukraine
https://energyandcleanair.org/publicati ... o-ukraine/

[QillerDaemon]

[CHEEZY17]

China creates list of US-made goods exempt from 125% tariffs, sources say
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chi ... 025-04-30/