Tag: ASEAN

[Made in China EP.2] The Resource Trap: EV Graveyards and the Global Hunt… The Price of “Fast Fish” Economics
Series Title: Made in China: From Unrivaled Factory to the Chip War Dead End

Article Title: [Made in China EP.2] The Resource Trap: EV Graveyards and the Global Hunt… The Price of “Fast Fish” Economics

In EP.1, we witnessed the might of the “World’s Factory” that no nation has been able to overthrow. But have you ever wondered… what is being swept under the rug of the fastest-moving conveyor belt on Earth?

Welcome to EP.2 of the Made in China trilogy. Today, we take you to the “Dark Side” of an economic model that prioritizes Volume above all else. A model that has created scenes the world watches in disbelief: Mountains of abandoned electric vehicles and a cross-continental hunt for resources to feed an insatiable industrial beast.

1. EV Graveyards: When “Subsidies” Create “Waste”

Drone footage flying over fields in Hangzhou reveals thousands of electric vehicles (EVs) parked, rotting under the sun and rain, with weeds growing through their chassis. These aren’t broken cars; they are brand-new vehicles “manufactured to be abandoned.”

This is the side effect of Supply-side Economics, where the Chinese government injected massive subsidies into carmakers to accelerate a new industry.
- The Subsidy Game: Many companies churned out cars simply to claim government cash and inflate sales figures, with zero regard for actual market demand.
- Failed Car Sharing: Huge fleets came from ride-sharing startups founded solely to harvest these subsidies, only to go bust and leave the cars as monuments to waste.
In China’s eyes, this is a “Tuition Fee” they are willing to pay to ensure a few strong survivors (like BYD) dominate the world. But to the rest of the world, it is a colossal waste of resources and an environmental time bomb.

2. Ghost Cities: Built for GDP, Not for People

It’s not just cars; entire “cities” are being overproduced. China’s economic model relies heavily on real estate (accounting for up to 30% of its GDP). The easiest way to pump up GDP numbers is simple: Build. Local governments sell land -> Developers borrow to build condos -> GDP grows.

The result? “Ghost Cities” filled with skyscrapers, eight-lane highways, and shopping malls, but zero inhabitants because prices are disconnected from real incomes. This is a massive ticking time bomb (like the Evergrande crisis), reflecting that the World’s Factory is producing things the world (and its own people) doesn’t actually need.

3. The Global Hunt: The New Colonialism

When domestic factories run at full steam, domestic resources aren’t enough. China must “hunt.” Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China builds roads, ports, and dams for developing nations in Africa and South America… not for charity, but in exchange for “mining rights.”
- Cobalt in Congo: Essential for almost all EV batteries, largely controlled by Chinese firms.
- Lithium in South America: Major mines are being snapped up by Chinese stakeholders.
While the world celebrates “Green Energy,” China is quietly playing a game of Upstream Monopoly. They are ensuring that no matter what energy source the world switches to, China will always be the one selling the raw materials.

4. The Shadow Guardians: Hypocrisy at the Border

The hunger for resources doesn’t just cost money; it costs integrity. China has long championed a foreign policy of “Non-Interference” (not meddling in other countries’ internal affairs). But when its resource lifelines are threatened, this principle vanishes like smoke.

A prime example is Myanmar. To secure oil and gas pipelines running to the Indian Ocean (bypassing the US-dominated Malacca Strait), China needs stability in a volatile land.
- Boots on the Ground: Reports suggest China has deployed private security contractors and armed drones into Myanmar’s territory to protect these strategic pipelines from ethnic rebel attacks.
- Funding the buffer: Paradoxically, Beijing also maintains ties with powerful ethnic armies (like the UWSA) along the border to create a “security buffer” for its assets.
This reveals a stark reality: For the World’s Factory, sovereignty is optional when supply chains are at risk. The Dragon speaks of peace, but its claws are deeply embedded in its neighbors’ soil to ensure the oil keeps flowing.

👉 [Deep Dive: When the Dragon Speaks of Peace but Moves in Shadows – Read full analysis on China’s Double Standard on Non-Intervention here.]

Conclusion: The Trap of Their Own Making

The model of “Mass Produce, Subsidize, and Hunt for Resources” has made China grow faster than any nation in history. But it comes at the cost of environmental fragility and a massive debt bubble.

Crucially, no matter how many mineral resources China hoards, there is one tiny grain of sand they still cannot dig up and struggle to manufacture. And that single weakness is about to determine the loser of the next war.

In the final episode, we dissect the Dragon’s only fatal flaw. 👉 [Read Next – EP.3: The Silicon War… When a Fingernail-Sized Chip Becomes the Wall the Chinese Army Cannot Climb] (Coming Soon)

Views: 1
January 3, 2026
When the Dragon Speaks of Peace but Moves in Shadows: China’s Double Standard on Non-Intervention 🐉
Introduction

China often proclaims itself a guardian of sovereignty and a champion of “non-interference” — a voice of calm in a turbulent world, in contrast to the meddling image of the West. Yet, in practice, its actions across Southeast Asia tell a very different story. 🤔

1. The Sacred Doctrine of Non-Intervention

China’s foreign policy is built on the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”:
- Respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Mutual non-aggression
- Non-interference in internal affairs
- Equality and mutual benefit
- Peaceful coexistence
These ideals allow China to deflect criticism on issues like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. But when it comes to its neighbors, these principles often dissolve into political convenience. 🧱💨

2. Case Study: The United Wa State Army (UWSA)

In Myanmar, the United Wa State Army — an armed ethnic militia — controls a self-governed region along the China-Myanmar border.
- 25,000+ well-equipped troops
- Uses Chinese yuan, telecom systems, and language
- Operates weapons factories and its own government structure
While China officially denies direct involvement, evidence points to ongoing military, economic, and diplomatic support behind the scenes. 🛠️🎯

3. From Mountains to Maritime Claims 🌊

China applies similar logic in the South China Sea:
- Claims based on the historic “Nine-Dash Line”
- Cites ancient maps and tributary missions, not governance or control
- Refuses to accept the 2016 international ruling that invalidated these claims
China turns historical ambiguity into modern hegemony, bypassing international norms — claiming land without conquest. 🗺️🧭

4. “Chinese Blood Never Fades”: Ethnic Nationalism Overseas

China often considers overseas Chinese communities as extensions of its cultural and political influence — even generations after they’ve naturalized elsewhere.
- Labels them as “Huaqiao” — Chinese citizens abroad
- Uses them as soft-power bridges, or even political leverage
But imagine the reverse: If foreigners in China refused to integrate and insisted on preserving their foreign identity — would the Chinese state welcome that?

China demands cultural acceptance abroad but struggles to return the favor at home. 😐

5. A Betrayal of Laozi: When the Sons of Tao Become Arrogant

Perhaps the deepest irony lies in China’s betrayal of its own ancient wisdom — especially Laozi’s teaching of Taoism.

Tao teaches us to be like water:
- Flow to the lowly places 🌊
- Blend with surroundings 🪷
- Do not cling, do not dominate
Yet modern Chinese nationalism does the opposite — asserting, dominating, demanding recognition wherever it goes. From ports to mountain passes, it acts not like water… but like fire 🔥

The children of Tao have forgotten how to flow.

Conclusion: Principles as a Mask

China’s doctrine of non-intervention has become a diplomatic costume — worn proudly on the global stage, but shed easily when its interests require backdoor influence.

Whether through ethnic militias, maritime maps, or diaspora politics, China redefines sovereignty not as a principle — but as a tool.

The question is no longer “Do people understand China?”
But rather: “Does China still understand itself?” 🤨

Views: 4
May 31, 2025
🌏 Why You Should Stop Looking Down on Southeast Asia
— A message from the jungle to the concrete kingdoms of East Asia —

1. Introduction: When Disrespect Reveals Your Blind Spot

In conversations across borders, Southeast Asians often find themselves at the receiving end of disdainful glances or dismissive remarks from their East Asian neighbors. We’re called lazy, unstructured, poor, or backward. Some treat us like a factory floor, others as cheap labor, and many don’t even try to pronounce our countries’ names properly.

But here’s the question:
Why do you look down on us? Is it because you truly understand us—or because you’ve never tried to?

This article isn’t just a rebuttal. It’s a call for understanding. It’s a reminder that the jungle you look down on is a place you might not even survive in. And it might just hold the power to define the future of Asia itself.

2. Background: We’re Not Inferior. We’re Just Not Like You.

🌬️ History & Power Structures

East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) has long been home to centralized empires. Dynasties ruled for centuries. Authority was sacred. Discipline and conformity were rewarded. The state was everything.

Southeast Asia, on the other hand, was a sea of smaller kingdoms, networks of trade, kinship, and cooperation. Power was fluid. Authority shifted. The jungle didn’t allow for rigid systems—it demanded flexibility.

🏔️ Geography Shapes Culture

You had fertile plains, four seasons, predictable weather. You could plan years ahead. You built walls, empires, order.

We had rainforests. Mountains. Monsoons. Disease. Unforgiving soil. Nature was wild, and survival meant adapting constantly. No season was guaranteed. So we grew comfortable with chaos, improvisation, and community support systems.

🧠 The Psychology of Environment

Your society trained minds to obey rules, aim for perfection, and maintain face.
Our society trained minds to adapt quickly, sense danger, and find creative solutions in uncertainty.

Don’t call our system “unstructured.” It’s structured differently—for survival, not for show.

3. Welcome to the Jungle: The Red Ocean You Forgot

You think the Amazon is wild? Think again.
The jungles of Southeast Asia are just as ancient, dense, and merciless. Parasites, tigers, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions—you name it.

And yet we built kingdoms in them.

Angkor Wat, Borobudur, Ayutthaya Empire, Srivijaya Empire and Toungoo Empire. Civilizations born from muddy waters and volcanic ash. Surviving and thriving not in spite of nature, but with it.

What takes extreme intelligence and organization to do in your plains, takes superhuman endurance to do in our jungles.

4. The ASEAN Balloon: Rising, Quietly but Surely

Today, Southeast Asia is not just growing. We’re glowing.
- 🌶️ Thai cuisine. Vietnamese coffee. Indonesian sambal. We’ve conquered palates worldwide.
- 🎧 Music, fashion, art. Creativity from the chaos.
- 📱 Tech startups in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are scaling faster than many East Asian ones.
- 💡 Our strength is in adaptability, multilingualism, cultural empathy. We are the bridge between East and West, North and South.
You saw us as laborers. You didn’t see that we were also builders—of systems, ideas, and futures.

5. East Asia’s Crisis: Blindness in the Mirror

You face declining birth rates. Economic stagnation. Mental health crises.
And yet, instead of looking around for new models, you cling to hierarchy and prestige.

If you keep looking down on us, you’ll miss the very future that could lift you up.

The ASEAN balloon is rising. Will you collaborate, or just spectate?

6. Conclusion: Stop the Arrogance. Start the Dialogue.

We’re not asking for your approval.
We’re asking for your attention.

Southeast Asia doesn’t need to become East Asia to be respected.
We are powerful in our own form, forged in rain, storm, and sun.

So the next time you see us through a lens of pity or scorn, look closer:
We might be the most resilient people you’ll ever meet.

Views: 2
January 16, 2025