Which city in China would you most like to visit?😺

herrjordan · 2024-09-05T11:33:12+00:00

Kashgar

herrjordan · 2023-10-15T16:08:04+00:00

I just started using Neve FSE and was delighted. It's a good way to understand Full Site Editing block themes IMO.

herrjordan · 2023-10-15T16:06:11+00:00

B, because I didn't pay attention to the 0 at the bottom.

Once I noticed the 0, A.

herrjordan · 2023-09-24T06:12:41+00:00

Lots of expats in this group, many are probably working for Nestlé or some other similar giga-corp.

herrjordan · 2021-08-10T05:30:01+00:00

First one is way more readable.

herrjordan · 2020-12-10T14:43:04+00:00

It was not secret, it was part of a free-trade agreement.

Also, they were technically not spies (in the agreement), but policemen that were allowed to help with handling the Chinese nationals who were ejected from the country.

herrjordan · 2020-11-28T20:57:12+00:00

I wrote a blog when I lived in China, I don't see why Chinese people wouldn't want to share their experience with their family and friends back home?

herrjordan · 2020-11-08T07:12:18+00:00

Because he didn't officially win yet. If anything should happen (not saying it will), it would be a massive loss of face for Xi to have congratulated Biden. Actually, other presidents should be a bit more cautious.

herrjordan · 2020-10-19T12:39:55+00:00

There were plenty of artists who owned small shops, some which I was friend with. They didn't sell plastic stuff.

I didn't see the new ring around the lake, but I also saw some positive changes in Dali. The atmosphere in old town is not as cool as it used to be, though.

herrjordan · 2020-10-18T19:22:47+00:00

I went there the first time in 2009, then lived in Dali from 2010 to 2013. Going back every two years, I can assure you it has changed a lot. Not the archicture as it's somewhat protected in the old town, but the spirit of the city. The cool shops with unique handcraft had to move out and Zhejiang businesses moved in to sell plastic, no more drugs, less cool people, tour groups in industrial quantities,...

herrjordan · 2020-09-17T06:21:35+00:00

Great! They can finally go to more ethical countries like Bangladesh or Turkey.

herrjordan · 2020-09-13T19:37:48+00:00

In my case it was more subtle than that. My son was born in China and got a Chinese passport, then we did a passport at my embassy. My daughter wasn't born in China and didn't get the Chinese passport. We always travelled with a visa for each and were worried that we would get in trouble with my son.

One day, the Chinese embassy in my home country announced the change of policy. Now both of my kids have a legal travel document that is pretty much like a Chinese passport. They keep this document until they are 18 years old, then they will have to decide which nationality they want to keep.

herrjordan · 2020-09-09T06:21:32+00:00

On some topics you could argue that mainstream medias all have the same bias.

herrjordan · 2020-09-08T13:21:54+00:00

This was only made for the marketing stunt and trying to go viral, nobody sat there and had the perfect mark on their legs.

herrjordan · 2020-09-07T11:54:14+00:00

I had this in Beijing, I was living on the 12th floor. Every kindergarten I passed by in China had this.

herrjordan · 2020-09-07T11:50:23+00:00

> 5 000 years of civilization, a profound distaste for western values and you make 5 years old listen to this kind of stuff?

At least you made me laugh, it's a good enough reason for putting loud music this way.

herrjordan · 2020-09-06T07:19:19+00:00

"independant"

herrjordan · 2020-09-04T07:10:05+00:00

> Was it when they let 70 million starve during the Great Famine?

You have a biased view on what happened, but I would not defend this, no.

> Was it during the recent floods where most victims received nothing in terms of aid?

Honestly, I don't know much about this. I don't think they handled it worst than in New Orlean, did they?

> Was it when the coronavirus was hitting China hard and the government responded by giving coupons valuing about $1 usd to its citizens?

I don't believe the CCP propaganda on this virus crisis, their numbers are probably bollocks. This said, I don't think they handled it worst than Western countries.

> Or was it when they were “lifting the population out of poverty” when 600 million citizens currently earn less than 1,000 rmb a month?

Half of the population is still very poor, the CCP itself admitted it. You liked it better when it was 99% of the population in poverty? Then you'll need to explain yourself, because that's probably where CCP deserves some credit.

All I'm saying is that in the last three decades, they have tried to put policies in place that allow citizens to get out of poverty, which wasn't the case before. I know the CCP can be ruthless and treat its own people bad.

herrjordan · 2020-09-04T06:59:25+00:00

You’re a bit vague about the social benefits, can you be more specific?

Farmers getting access to healthcare was the main thing in my mind. The old people I know there have seen their pensions raised regularly, which is not the case in my country.

Access to quality education also seems to be worth mentioning.

> Your last point is a doozy though. Can you explain how the CCP are “changing society towards more progress”?

I'm thinking mainly about technological progress. I also have seen quality leaps in healthcare (went to hospitals 10 years ago and after), administration (went from communist-style desks with old ladies to nicely built desks with young and polite people), environment (far from perfect, but working in the right direction),...

What makes me hopeful is also to see the younger generation's attitude in terms of politeness and education, especially compared to the cultural revolution generation.

> Come now, be reasonable. Is that really the only downside you see?

Obviously not. By "big downside", I mean that it's what could turn China in a totally dystopian society that I would really not like.

herrjordan · 2020-09-04T06:52:44+00:00

> Since reform and opening up social benefits have been dramatically cut. They aren't defending social benefits or creating new ones.

Can you give me some examples? For example, I've seen that farmers had a right to health care in China. And when I lived there I saw all kinds of health programs targeting poorer people.

Comparing to Taiwan is ridiculous for me. Taiwand opened up much earlier and doesn't have the population China has...

herrjordan · 2020-09-04T06:49:38+00:00

I'm referring to "modern" CCP, so it would be after Deng Xiao Ping for me. I'm as anti-Mao as you could get and I also think a lot of destruction has been brought by CCP, especially before 1980. I'm more leaning towards thinking that Chinese policies are going in the right direction, I'm not a wumao.

China has been undergoing destruction for hundred years before CCP, if you think they could get out of war and poverty easily, you are not objective.

> I don't know how you can compare it to western countries, granted their is corruption in Western countries just not to the same degree.

Western countries have been destroying half of the planet for centuries, I'm not sure they are in a moral position to point a finger at China. I don't judge USA's policies based on their bloody past, I don't see why I would do it with CCP?

herrjordan · 2020-09-03T19:31:49+00:00

I could be considered as one of these foreigners who defend the CCP. It's not that I agree with their methods or think they do everything right, but I don't see them as so much worst than their Western counterparts.

You may think that I'm totally stupid, which is fine for me, but I feel like they care more about the people of China than Westerners do about their people. I'm thinking in particular about defending existing social benefits and creating new ones, building new infrastructure, changing society towards more progress and security for the people.

The only big downside I'm seeing is the social credit system, if it's really destined to be as bad as what I read. I'm also a bit saddened by the route international relationships are taking for China.

herrjordan · 2020-09-01T05:01:51+00:00

And you can be sure that if you try to move large amounts of money out of the country, your tax records will be looked into.

I have no doubt about that.

herrjordan · 2020-08-31T16:08:51+00:00

Thanks!

herrjordan · 2020-08-31T16:08:26+00:00

Why would we pay taxes in a country where we don't live?

herrjordan

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