December22, 2006:
In Taiwan, people are feeling less Chinese. In a 1991 survey, 13.6 percent
of Taiwanese considered themselves "Taiwanese," compared to about 45
percent today. In 1991, 43.9 percent of Taiwanese considered themselves
"Chinese," compared to under ten percent today. It's these numbers
that anger the Chinese, and lead to threats of invasion if Taiwanese voters
choose to officially declare independence.
December
21, 2006: Chinese attempts to get North Korea to negotiate, the elimination of
North Korea nuclear weapons programs, have failed once more. Another round of
talks came and went without any progress. China doesn't care, as long as the
North Korean government does not collapse and send a flood of refugees into
north China. But the North Korean government is getting shakier, and the
Chinese continue to have a hard time convincing the North Koreans that they
have to reform their economy.
December
16, 2006: China is issuing, and enforcing, more regulations on the quality of
manufactured goods. Chinese manufacturing practices are often shoddy, and for a
long time, there was no way to force the manufacturer to fix that problem. This
sloppiness was found in military goods as well. China has only been successful
in exporting of goods because manufacturers were forced to meet quality
standards. This has produced two different types of manufacturers. Sloppy ones
for Chinese markets, and strict ones for export. The government is trying to
drive the sloppy manufacturers out of business, partly to improve the quality
of military manufacturing. This will enable China to produce military goods of
higher quality and effectiveness. China is already manufacturing many of
the electronic consumer goods (iPods, laptop computers, flat screen TVs) used
by Americans and Europeans. But these factories are largely run by Japanese and
Taiwanese companies, and managers. But year by year, Chinese managers in these
plants move up to higher positions, and gain the skills that enable more
Chinese plants to turn out world class goods.
December
15, 2006: Three more Chinese have been caught in the U.S., while attempts to
get stolen technology to China. This espionage campaign has been going on for
decades. China always denies it, but there has been a growing number of spies
captured, and prosecuted.