President Xi soon to arrive in London!!

[mrswdk]

5th largest economy in the world, bruh.

Xi Dada's super cute selfie with Aguero:

Click image to enlarge.

[waauw]

Economically maybe(though it remains to be seen what will happen to the british economy were they to leave the EU). Politically the UK is not that strong anymore. They've politically isolated themselves from the rest of europe with their obstinate positions and the americans generally dictate rather than listen to the rest of NATO.

[mrswdk]

Economically maybe(though it remains to be seen what will happen to the british economy were they to leave the EU). Politically the UK is not that strong anymore. They've politically isolated themselves from the rest of europe with their obstinate positions and the americans generally dictate rather than listen to the rest of NATO.

Just because other EU countries are starting to get tired of the UK's behavior within the EU doesn't mean that the UK has suddenly lost its political strength.

Quite a lot of people in quite a lot of countries are tired of America's behavior, but does that mean America's political strength has shrunk?

[saxitoxin]

5th largest economy in the world, bruh.

Xi Dada's super cute selfie with Aguero:

Click image to enlarge.

Thanks goodness he didn't go to a Leicester City match. Those selfies don't turn out as well.

[waauw]

Economically maybe(though it remains to be seen what will happen to the british economy were they to leave the EU). Politically the UK is not that strong anymore. They've politically isolated themselves from the rest of europe with their obstinate positions and the americans generally dictate rather than listen to the rest of NATO.

Just because other EU countries are starting to get tired of the UK's behavior within the EU doesn't mean that the UK has suddenly lost its political strength.

Quite a lot of people in quite a lot of countries are tired of America's behavior, but does that mean America's political strength has shrunk?

Smaller countries usually follow the lead of bigger countries and in europe they have chosen to follow France and Germany, consequently NOT following the British. They have chosen to stand opposed to the French-German axis and thus opposite the rest of europe. And as politics is a 'quid pro quo' game, the British receive no 'quo' because they offer insufficient 'quid'.

Similarly, europeans have chosen to follow the US(because to be honest, however many mistakes they have made, they do offer tremendous advantages to their friends as well) and thus don't follow Russia or China.

So it's not that the UK doesn't have the potential for power, they simply can't compare to French and German influence. Following the lead of those two is just hugely more beneficial to following the UK.

[mrswdk]

Eh? The UK tends to have common ground with Germany in quite a lot of areas, likewise with countries like the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. France less so, although when it comes to bombing brown people there's no substitute for the UK and France's joint-owned austerity army. It's really not as either/or as you're making out.

[waauw]

Eh? The UK and Germany tend to have common ground in quite a lot of areas. France less so, except when it comes to bombing brown people (and then all of a sudden it's UK-France cowboy time). It's really not as either/or as you're making out.

Not sure where you get your info from but the UK is not like Germany AT ALL. Watch some non-british news and you'll notice how mainland europe is tired of the UK. When it comes to EU-issues, the UK is often a weight on other countries legs. When it comes to international issues the UK has the reputation of being the american lapdog.

[mrswdk]

Eh? The UK and Germany tend to have common ground in quite a lot of areas. France less so, except when it comes to bombing brown people (and then all of a sudden it's UK-France cowboy time). It's really not as either/or as you're making out.

Not sure where you get your info from but the UK is not like Germany AT ALL. Watch some non-british news and you'll notice how mainland europe is tired of the UK. When it comes to EU-issues, the UK is often a weight on other countries legs. When it comes to international issues the UK has the reputation of being the american lapdog.

I'm well aware that the public in continental European countries are getting fairly tired of what they see as British exceptionalism. As I said before though, that's not really relevant.

On a side note, the UK certainly behaved like an American lapdog during the Bush-Blair era, but it's hard to argue the same thing about the current administration.

[waauw]

Eh? The UK and Germany tend to have common ground in quite a lot of areas. France less so, except when it comes to bombing brown people (and then all of a sudden it's UK-France cowboy time). It's really not as either/or as you're making out.

Not sure where you get your info from but the UK is not like Germany AT ALL. Watch some non-british news and you'll notice how mainland europe is tired of the UK. When it comes to EU-issues, the UK is often a weight on other countries legs. When it comes to international issues the UK has the reputation of being the american lapdog.

I'm well aware that the public in continental European countries is getting fairly tired of what they see as British exceptionalism. As I said before though, that's not really relevant.

If you constantly infuriate the other kids, you can't expect the other kids to want to play with you anymore. Of course it's relevant, it becomes more difficult to convince anybody from anything if relations deteriorate.

[waauw]

On a side note, the UK certainly behaved like an American lapdog during the Bush-Blair era, but it's hard to argue the same thing about the current administration.

That's possible, regardless they suffer from image problems. Just look at Beijing relations with Taiwan. You're both the same people, yet it takes a lot of time and effort to mend relations.

[mrswdk]

On a side note, the UK certainly behaved like an American lapdog during the Bush-Blair era, but it's hard to argue the same thing about the current administration.

That's possible, regardless they suffer from image problems. Just look at Beijing relations with Taiwan. You're both the same people, yet it takes a lot of time and effort to mend relations.

lol. The mainland-Taiwan relationship is way more complicated than just an 'image problem', but point taken.

[mrswdk]

Eh? The UK and Germany tend to have common ground in quite a lot of areas. France less so, except when it comes to bombing brown people (and then all of a sudden it's UK-France cowboy time). It's really not as either/or as you're making out.

Not sure where you get your info from but the UK is not like Germany AT ALL. Watch some non-british news and you'll notice how mainland europe is tired of the UK. When it comes to EU-issues, the UK is often a weight on other countries legs. When it comes to international issues the UK has the reputation of being the american lapdog.

I'm well aware that the public in continental European countries is getting fairly tired of what they see as British exceptionalism. As I said before though, that's not really relevant.

If you constantly infuriate the other kids, you can't expect the other kids to want to play with you anymore. Of course it's relevant, it becomes more difficult to convince anybody from anything if relations deteriorate.

Being liked is just one part of the equation. America continues to wield significant influence in the Middle East despite being despised by about half the people who live there. As Grandpa Mao said, political power grows from the barrel of a gun.

[waauw]

Being liked is just one part of the equation. America continues to wield significant influence in the Middle East despite being despised by about half the people who live there. As Grandpa Mao said, political power grows from the barrel of a gun.

True, but the UK is no empire anymore. The US is currently the only empire that can get away with all of that(though China and Russia are rapidly rebecoming ones as well).

[mrswdk]

I'm not saying that the UK can bully people in the same way the US can, just that being likable is only one of many factors affecting diplomatic power. And I would also venture that just because European citizens are getting annoyed by the UK's attitude, that doesn't mean that the chats Cameron is having with Merkel and Hollande behind closed doors are any less cordial.

[rishaed]

I'm not saying that the UK can bully people in the same way the US can, just that being likable is only one of many factors affecting diplomatic power. And I would also venture that just because European citizens are getting annoyed by the UK's attitude, that doesn't mean that the chats Cameron is having with Merkel and Hollande behind closed doors are any less cordial.

Cameron can have chats with Merkel and Hollande all he wants... UK, like Germany and France is part of the EU even though they don't use the Euro. As for it being cordial, maybe they forgot to order the scones and tea that would be required for that?
Also hows that "anti-corruption" campaign of Xi's going?

[mrswdk]

I'm not saying that the UK can bully people in the same way the US can, just that being likable is only one of many factors affecting diplomatic power. And I would also venture that just because European citizens are getting annoyed by the UK's attitude, that doesn't mean that the chats Cameron is having with Merkel and Hollande behind closed doors are any less cordial.

Cameron can have chats with Merkel and Hollande all he wants... UK, like Germany and France is part of the EU even though they don't use the Euro. As for it being cordial, maybe they forgot to order the scones and tea that would be required for that?
Also hows that "anti-corruption" campaign of Xi's going?

It's going well. How's Obama's campaign to limit the influence of corporate lobbyists going?

[rishaed]

I'm not saying that the UK can bully people in the same way the US can, just that being likable is only one of many factors affecting diplomatic power. And I would also venture that just because European citizens are getting annoyed by the UK's attitude, that doesn't mean that the chats Cameron is having with Merkel and Hollande behind closed doors are any less cordial.

Cameron can have chats with Merkel and Hollande all he wants... UK, like Germany and France is part of the EU even though they don't use the Euro. As for it being cordial, maybe they forgot to order the scones and tea that would be required for that?
Also hows that "anti-corruption" campaign of Xi's going?

It's going well. How's Obama's campaign to limit the influence of corporate lobbyists going?

Its probably fake TBH. Or just a covert way to do somthing else like the "Anti-Corruption Campaign"

[mrswdk]

Rather the gulping down CNN's daily doses of 'the anti-corruption campaign is a fascist political purge', maybe you should try a more neutral news source. Sure, maybe a happy benefit of the anti-corruption campaign is that Xi has been able to take out some political rivals, but it's also a legit campaign in its own right.

I mean, the American government has been cooperating with Operation Skynet (the global part of the campaign) and sending corrupt officials back to China to be arrested. Do you really think they'd be doing that if they thought the campaign was nothing more than a witch hunt?

[rishaed]

I can see you have been happily gulping down your daily dose of CNN's 'the anti-corruption campaign is a political purge', but maybe you should try a news source which doesn't have an anti-China agenda. Sure, maybe a happy benefit of the anti-corruption campaign is that Xi has been able to take out some political rivals, but it's also a legit campaign in its own right.

I mean, the American government has been cooperating with Operation Skynet and sending corrupt officials back to China from America to be arrested. Do you really think they'd be doing that if they thought the campaign was nothing more than a witch hunt?

A. I don't watch CNN.
B. The information I looked at was based off of chinese Media. (And isn't Anti-China, more likely Anti-CCP)
C. Its not hard to connect the dots sometimes. (Also why wouldn't a political purge happen? He's gotta solidify his power base somehow )
D. How does Op Skynet (I have no idea what that is) have anything to do with the current topic?
E."Happy Benifit=Take out political rivals") Excuse me while I Kappa Face behind my Computer Screen.

[mrswdk]

lol. I can see you have been following the anti-corruption campaign with an eagle eye. Operation Skynet is the global part of the campaign which involves tracking down corrupt officials who have escaped to other countries and seeking their repatriation so that they can be prosecuted in China. And as I mentioned in my last post, America has been cooperating with this and sending corrupt officials back to China.

[rishaed]

lol. I can see you have been following the anti-corruption campaign with an eagle eye. Operation Skynet is the global part of the campaign which involves tracking down corrupt officials who have escaped to other countries and seeking their repatriation so that they can be prosecuted in China.

And this disputes the claim that it is a cover to purge his political rivals how? I don't see how U.S. Cooperation in Chinese internal Legal affairs has anything to do with the initial point?

[mrswdk]

Sigh.

Do you really think they'd be doing that if they thought the campaign was nothing more than a witch hunt?

[rishaed]

Sigh.

Do you really think they'd be doing that if they thought the campaign was nothing more than a witch hunt?

From several of the articles i just read, the only reason why China has such an operation in the first place is because they don't have extradition treaties with many countries because of their flagrant Human Rights violations. On top of that none of them mention actually exporting any of the accused.
http://www.businessinsider.com/china-is-using-an-operation-called-skynet-to-track-down-fugitive-corrupt-officials-2015-3
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/operation-skynet-chinas-anti-corruption-campaign-goes-international-as-beijing-reaches-out-to-10142310.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-27/china-casts-sky-net-in-new-hunt-for-corrupt-fugitive-officials
Also I find this interesting:
[quote="bloomberg" Xi’s crackdown on graft -- the harshest since the republic’s founding in October 1949, state media say -- started weeks after he became party boss in November 2012.][/quote] It started WEEKS and it conveniently snags political rivals LOL.
Also Witch hunt implies chaos. This is planned with a perfect disguise of a legitimate reason over the purge. Aka. Not a witch hunt rather a predetermined and coordinated strike with the excuse of a legitimate reason.

[macbone]

Anti-corruption campaigns in China have traditionally been about purging the party of less desirables and rivals. What makes you think this one is somehow different, M?

And is there anyone in the Party who didn't take advantage of the free-wheeling moneymaking of the last two decades?

George Magnus of Oxford's China Centre:

Anti-corruption measures are not new in China, but in the past they were short-lived and their principle purpose was to punish or remove foes. The current campaign is is different. It is both a traditional purge and a major weapon of governance, designed to bolster the power and legitimacy of the Communist Party at a time of change that is considered threatening. It is probably no exaggeration to say that the current leadership sees the campaign as a sort of do-or-die moment for the Party, specifically to save it from the fate of that of the former Soviet Union. The prevailing narrative is that China must not succumb to the Soviet Communist Party’s failure to stick with Leninist discipline, which allowed political rot, ideological heresy and military disloyalty to undermine and destroy it.

The campaign actually started before Xi came to power. At the Party school in Beijing in March 2012, Vice-President Xi spoke at length on the very familiar Leninist topic of ‘party purity’, which is about the integrity, reputation and effectiveness of Party members at all levels. Cadres were told to take their Marxism seriously and to implement the programmes, regulations and policies of the Party, and shun all interest in personal gain and influence.

This was no run-of-the-mill political speech. Xi insisted then and since that ‘party purity’ was essential if China was to succeed in building a prosperous society, implementing reform, and changing the development model. This could only happen if members opposed and struggled against all forms of corruption, and defended the health of the Party.

Two weeks after the speech, Bo Xilai, governor of Chongqing who was also vying for the job of President, was removed from office. Over time, as is now known, he was stripped of all his Party posts, expelled from the Party, found guilty of corruption, bribery and abuse of power, and sentenced to life imprisonment. This was the curtain-raiser to an unrelenting and comprehensive anti-corruption campaign that shows no sign of winding down.

Implemented by the extra-legal Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the campaign has targeted over 200,000 ‘tigers and flies’, that is high and lower level officials in the Party, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and state enterprise system. In 2014 alone, 68 top officials and over 70,000 lower level officials were investigated for violations of anti-graft rules. Roughly 36 tigers have been brought down, including Zhou Yongkang, former Minister of Public Security and member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and Xu Caihou, former general in the PLA, who died from illness in March. Also being investigated for corruption is Zhang Dongsheng, a former director of the finance department in China’s powerful National Development Reform Commission, China’s top macroeconomic management agency. In December 2014, Ling Jihua, once Political Secretary to former President Hu Jintao and Director of the Party’s General Office was put under investigation for disciplinary violations. This move showed that Xi had no inhibitions about going after close associates of both Hu and former Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin, who, at 88, continues to wield influence, and actually supported Xi for the job of President.

In the first three months of 2015, the chief of military intelligence Xing Yunming was removed from office, scores of PLA officials, including up to 16 generals, were placed under investigation, and senior commanders in the PLA were in the process of being reshuffled. The CCDI announcement that it would target state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in a new intensification of the campaign resulted in the removal or investigation of senior personnel, including Song Lin, the Chairman of China Resources, and Xu Jianyi, the Chairman of the FAW automotive group.

The anti-corruption campaign, therefore, is certainly designed to fight foes, and favour friends. Indeed, one of the objectives is to sideline past leaders and others who continue to wield power in the Party so that the current leadership gets a clear run in getting its nominated members on to the elite Politburo Standing Committee at the 19th Party Congress 2017. Five of seven will stand down having reached the age of 68. The other two members are Xi, himself, and Premier Li Keqiang, both of whom will serve until 2022.

But the campaign is also designed as a weapon of governance to make the Party and the state sector more responsive and efficient, as leaders try to guide China through a very important, and potentially unstable economic transition. To this end, they have raised an enormous flag of economic reform. The broad goals were laid out at the Party’s Third Plenum at the end of 2013, and subsequently, including at the Fourth Plenum in October 2014, which focused on the ‘rule of law’, which is better referred as rule by law, or rule according to law. There is no possibility of the re-ordering Chinese society to make the state and Party subservient to an independent judiciary.

...

First, a major anti-corruption campaign isn’t an engineering challenge with a neat beginning and end. It is likely to spawn consequences, and could be dangerous. Without an open, transparent and legally accountable campaign, picking off a few rotten apples may still leave an essentially diseased tree intact. It is simply impossible for the government to call an entire ruling class to account.

...

China’s leaders are well aware that the growth and development model has to change. The anti-corruption campaign is essential to securing the reforms that would lead to that change. But, as argued, the campaign has weaknesses and shortcomings. Reforms, especially to create robust and inclusive institutions that would really put China on course to become a high income country are most likely incompatible with the central philosophy of Party, which is to rule unchallenged. A purified Party is no substitute for political reforms in which the Party has no interest.

We can understand the resulting insecurity that seems to pervade the behaviour of the leadership, which has manifested itself in fear, distrust, and a major crackdown on opponents, critics, liberals, and most recently, Western values and influences. The government has forbidden universities from teaching or discussing universal values, press freedom, civil society, civil rights, historical errors of the Party, capitalism and an independent judiciary – collectively known as the ‘seven don’ts’. Ironically, allowing these don’ts would go much further in purging the country of corruption than an extra-legal campaign of going after tigers and flies that by comparison, seems quite limited.

http://www.georgemagnus.com/xis-anti-co ... prospects/

[mrswdk]

Sigh.

Do you really think they'd be doing that if they thought the campaign was nothing more than a witch hunt?

From several of the articles i just read, the only reason why China has such an operation in the first place is because they don't have extradition treaties with many countries because of their flagrant Human Rights violations.

fantastic duck and dodge!