I think you've missed a few memos. Thankfully, China (and India, which will be passing China in population at some point), don't seem to have bought into the ideal of white picket fences, half acre lots, and 2 car garages as the ultimate signs of middle class success. India lacks the land, and China could make this fit, but only at considerable environmental and economic cost. China is also not going to do anything that will wreck the plan for peak C02 emissions by 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2060.
Instead, mass transit and tall apartment buildings are where both are heading. Once Didi gets driverless cars, I expect the demand for private cars not to decline, but to show some signs of slowing.
China also has moved beyond just making low price/low quality items. The biggest names in many industries use China as their factory floor, and low quality won't cut it for those. Now, more and more Chinese brands are being embraced by Chinese consumers, because they realize that a locally produced and branded item can be just as good as a much higher priced name brand.
Those two quotes don't quite go together. A sustainable yet consumer-driven economy?
As an aside, "moderately well off" doesn't mean consumer driven. It can't. It has to mean limited availability of goods and services.
Yet, certain westerners want to claim that everything made in China is defective, want to claim that every Chinese success is faked, and fall back to spraying bile when the evidence of success can't be denied by saying "I hope it blows up." Imagine if the UK had maintained its attitude of "a bunch of convicts who deserve to rot" against all Australians or "a bunch of ungrateful colonists" against the US long after those situations had changed.
They gave up that attitude?
It does look like Scott Morrison finally figured out that some of his troops deliberately planning and carrying out murders against innocent civilians in another country was actually a far worse crime than a Chinese diplomat sharing a computer generate image highlighting the fact that some of his troops were murderers. Now he wants to discuss happy coexistence.
Now that is koolaid.
The Brereton Report was accepted in all its recommendations, 2 Squadron of the SASR no longer exists, dismissals and prosecutions are underway, and serving and ex-services suicides are up (10 in the last two months). Zhao Lijian was highlighting his own backside, it being pointed squarely at Australia as he watches Beijing. Much in the same way as Morrison was highlighting his own as he too was attempting to point the way to Beijing. Those two were being altogether irrelevant to how murder and mayhem are being actively addressed within the Australia military and legal system - not secretly.
Both of those guys and their opinions are irrelevant. They don't affect the deliberate surgery the military is undergoing.
What those dudes do play to is the general public. It's the general public that's been surprised by this report. The report is the product of four years investigation. The military knew it was happening. Politicians knew. The general public are the ones who're can be played with right now.
I suppose really the key to any "relationship" right now lies in determining just how much disinterest Beijing has in the functioning of Australian society. That tweet bullshit for instance - it betrays zero interest in the institutions of law and the military as they exist in Australia - because it directly suggests that neither are doing well. The law isn't addressing the issue, it suggests. The military isn't either. The general public are wide open to shock because no institution is working for them, it suggests.
Of course, if that tweet were aimed at actual Australia, that's how it should be read. But it's a recent sport among outside Chinese functionaries, isn't it, the use of foreign social media to snipe at foreign institutions and politicians. They get points at home. If they're displaying any diplomatic position it's that international relations aren't more important than what the clique at home base thinks.
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3112455/australia-pm-seeks-happy-coexistence-china-after-war-crimes
On Thursday, Morrison took a much different approach, telling reporters in Canberra that his aim was for the two countries to have a “happy coexistence”.
“My position and my government’s position is to seek constructive engagement,” he said.
“The relationship with China is a mutually beneficial one. It supports both our countries, it is good for both of our countries.” China is Australia’s largest trading partner.
Hopefully now both sides can sit down and have discussions about economic and other cooperation.
And that is disingenuous.
Beijing is pissed because it thought we had a deal. It was the same deal it has made with the Chinese people. Take the money and shut your mouth. Australia right now is being made an example of. Beijing is telling everyone, shut your mouth or you'll lose the money.
Second largest economy. Is the money enough? Is this new global order in which Beijing's might drives success everywhere properly funded? Are the right people getting rich?
I guess, if that's the way to look at it, then in Australia, no. The right people weren't getting rich.