15 Facts About China That Will Blow Your Mind

[JR8]

Indeed.

It, er, interests me how the Chinese aunties turn up here to correct us misguided, bigoted, disrespectful ex-pats. Especially when they are quitters. Imagine the headline...

'Man goes to pub on Friday after work, and gets gobby about his boss: Shock. Aunties are shoulder to shoulder in dismissing 'wonton bigotry''



p.s
That was [Monty Python voice], <> seems to do strange things to text...

[Skeeter01]

There used to be a joke among school children in London that when China sneezes, the world will jump.

Ok, China has done incredibly well and I'm not taking away from any of that, but this quote above has me flummoxed. School children in London (or anywhere in England) talking about China? And this was in the 90s when it wasn't important like it is now. Maybe a few kids with Chinese parents said it, but the vast majority of schoolkids in London in the 90s wouldn't have given 2 hoots about China (why would they?)

Now there was a saying that if America sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold, but it's adults that say it not school kids

I just saw this thread. You know my British (Colonial) Grandmother used to say that to me when I was a kid so it must have been around a long long time.

[breedmon]

In the 1980s, I attended a talk given in London and listened to someone I recognised as one of the creme de la creme Town Planning govt scholar I met a few years back. He pesented a vision mission of China for the next decade that took my breath away. I was doubtful then, but the presenter had very concise ideas for any questions.
Strangely enough, there used to be a joke among school children in London that when China sneezes, the world will jump.
In the lst few years, there has been miraculous stories, with pictures everywhere on the net, on tv and in the press about the staggering advancement all over the mainland.
I still can't get my head around it but I have a favourable list to congratulate China :
1。aid to improving the infrastructure of many African countries as far back as the 60s
2. some women holding top positions in shipping companies and other multinational corporations
3. building the 'controversial' dams to ensure the dry North is well supplied with water
4. the desertification project that irrigate and grow grass under rope grids from the Gobi down to border of Beijing
5. the general upliftment of poverty-stricken Chinese
6. China is a serious partner in environmental issues.

Since 1983, China has made incredulous advancements in so many areas, it's mind staggering to me. I hope the comradeship and commune spirit of the 60s endear and will not be squashed by the harshness of materialism.

You left out Tiananmen, the Great Leap Forward, the filtering of the internet, the using of recycled oil to cook food, the organ harvesting, the corrupt judges who haven't even been to uni, etc.

I hope the comradeship and commune spirit of the 60s endear and will not be squashed by the harshness of materialism.

The Chinese are probably the most legendarily materialistic people on earth (with Russians a close second). Given the choice, I'd suggest that communism is being booted out ASAP by the people wherever possible

What about the Americans? Hah.

[JR8]

I hope the comradeship and commune spirit of the 60s endear and will not be squashed by the harshness of materialism.

The Chinese are probably the most legendarily materialistic people on earth (with Russians a close second). Given the choice, I'd suggest that communism is being booted out ASAP by the people wherever possible

What about the Americans? Hah.

No, the Americans are the wealthiest. The Chinese are amongst the poorest but are driven to show each other how wealthy they pretend to be.

[breedmon]

The Chinese are probably the most legendarily materialistic people on earth (with Russians a close second). Given the choice, I'd suggest that communism is being booted out ASAP by the people wherever possible

What about the Americans? Hah.

No, the Americans are the wealthiest. The Chinese are amongst the poorest but are driven to show each other how wealthy they pretend to be.

You were talking about the most materialistic people, not the richest or poorest.

I present to you the two candidates. You can have your pick.

Americans = burger chomping, big cars, big houses, many are in debt, many are obese, want all of the latest stuff, want big everything.

Chinese = many are poor, live in overcrowded cities, many aspire to be richer, many work (too) hard to make money, some buy branded bags and cars to show off.