The China Thread

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I wonder, now with Trump, if we'll have a reverse Nixon-event. Given that this is the dumbest timeline it might just happen

[Syt]

"Only Xi could go to Washington?"

[The Minsky Moment]

China going through defense ministers at a rapid pace:

As the article indicates, the position is not significant because the military is under party control.

Of the two predecessors that were also purged, one used to head up China's strategic and tactical missile forces, the other was in charge of the Equipment Development Department of the CMC. Dong commanded the naval forces.

The link here seems to be defense procurement. The missile and naval forces have been showered with funds to modernize and expand platforms and equipment. The "Equipment Development Department" oversees and coordinates defense procurement.  These ministers may have had little or no substantive authority over military command as defense ministers, but they all were deeply connected into the Chinese defense procurement process.

[garbon]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yx2ek1j53o

Gotta catch 'em all: Hong Kong targets 'unfair' claw machines

It's a frustratingly familiar experience for many a fair-goer: just as the coveted plushie makes its way towards the chute of a claw machine, the claw slackens, letting go of the prize.

But now one city has had enough. On Wednesday, Hong Kong's consumer watchdog announced it was mulling regulations on claw machines after rising complaints.

One man had spent HK$500 ($64.4; £50.7) over 45 minutes to win a waffle maker but got "nothing more than a few trinkets", the Consumer Council said.

It said these machines "capitalise on consumers' enthusiasm for testing their luck" and warned people to "spend rationally and be mindful of addiction". But it did not say how it would regulate them.

Forty-two complaints were filed in the first 11 months of this year, up from 16 in 2023 and seven in 2022, the Consumer Council said on Monday.

"The industry often modifies claw settings or introduces obstacles inside claw machines to make winning more challenging... Excessive difficulty or unfair settings could aggravate consumers," the council said in a statement on Monday.

"We believe it's about time to review whether we should regulate claw machine businesses," said Gilly Wong Fung-han, the council's chief executive, said reports.

But Jayden Chen, the founder of a claw machine rental company in Singapore, tells the BBC that programmed claw machines are "actually part of the fun".

"The players then feel the excitement and adrenaline, and will keep going. If they are winning most of the time, who would try for a second or third time?

"Regulations will kill off the fun element," Mr Chen said.

In Hong Kong, claw machine operators do not need a license to set up shop.

In the case of the man who bided for the waffle maker, he had used a claw machine that promised "instant prizes" - the waffle maker was among the array of prices displayed and he had believed that consumers should have the right to select their reward.

A woman, who played another claw machine, complained that each time she was about to move her desired toy towards the chute, the claw would slacken, letting go of the toy.

The machine featured a "guaranteed grab" mechanism for players who had spent at least HK$100 without winning - only in their next try would the claw maintain its grip until the toy is extracted. The woman lamented that this was a "dishonest trade practice".

Reports have shown that claw machines can be programmed to have a strong grip for only part of the time, or for it to drop a prize only after a certain number of tries.

In yet another example given by the council, a third complainant had wanted to break his HK$100 bill into HK$5 coins inside a claw machine arcade. After inserting the bill, however, he received only one HK$5 coin. His request for a refund was denied, and he was instead "compensated" with an equivalent value in play rounds.

The man protested, calling this a case of "forced consumption", but the operator upheld its decision not to issue a cash refund, saying the coin exchange "incurred operating costs such as bank fees".

"Consumers should assess whether the total amount spent is worth the value of the desired prize," it said.

It also advised consumers to video-record their gameplay so that they have some evidence on hand in case of any disputes.

It added that some claw machines are suspected to have been used for gambling activities and urged consumers to exercise caution.

The waffle maker and break change examples are wild.

[HVC]

I demand 100% win guarantee on slot machines!

Although the change example is bullshit.

[garbon]

I demand 100% win guarantee on slot machines!

Although the change example is bullshit.

Who uses an arcade to make change?

[Josquius]

Why on earth would you want a waffle maker in Hong Kong?
Its one of those kitchen gadgets you use maybe 3 times a year and otherwise takes up space.
If there's one thing Hong Kong homes lack....

[mongers]

Never knew bone china included actual bone, thought it was just an old standard's name; so was this a British only thing, or did quality Chinese pottery also include bone?

[garbon]

Never knew bone china included actual bone, thought it was just an old standard's name; so was this a British only thing, or did quality Chinese pottery also include bone?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_china

So English but now Chinese?

[mongers]

Never knew bone china included actual bone, thought it was just an old standard's name; so was this a British only thing, or did quality Chinese pottery also include bone?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_china

So English but now Chinese?

Thanks, that's an odd production story.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Never knew bone china included actual bone, thought it was just an old standard's name; so was this a British only thing, or did quality Chinese pottery also include bone?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_china

So English but now Chinese?

What isn't these days...

[Sheilbh]

Couple of things I found interesting recently - not sure if these are converging or diverging.

Deepseek - apparently the biggest splash in Chinese media with Deepseek isn't the model itself or even the "Sputnik moment" stuff. The main thing that's been picked up in China is that the founder, Liang Wenfeng, has apparently a bit of a manifesto with Deepseek and made a big deal about rejecting the 996 work culture. Basically saying they needed smart creative work more than intense long work. Struck me as interesting given the Musk language about work - both with taking over Twitter but also around DOGE. Having said that lots of the coverage is actually describing what Liang has done as moving to something more like the atmosphere of Stanford or Silicon Valley.

Other interesting feature of what Liang has been saying is that they deliberately hire people with humanities. They don't just want engineers which struck me as maybe a difference with current discourse in the West and especially the US.

Also thought it was interesting that as the UK is interesting age-gating for porn, Southern states in the US are requiring that porn sites collect the details of users - and, in Davos, Pedro Sanchez has suggested something similar for social media in general. All slightly different purposes and intents, but it strikes me that globally there may be a move to a slightly more Chinese internet (which I think Musk etc will push back against - while they'd absolutely comply if it got their companies into China). But I think Western governments maybe now see just letting whatever happens online happen and allowing that anonymity to maybe have been a mistake and maybe a more controlled process like China (albeit with very different aims and restrictions) is something they'll try to move to. Having said that with the tech barons already entrenched it may be difficult.

[Syt]

Meanwhile, in Asia ...

https://apnews.com/article/philippines-south-china-sea-defense-secretary-gilberto-teodoro-air-defense-zone-4c63b28b674c63b1730a22dc9faa5f22

Philippine defense chief warns allies will fight if China restricts flights over South China Sea

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines and its security allies would take measures to counter any attempt by China to impose an air defense zone or restrict freedom of flights over the South China Sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Wednesday, following confrontations between Chinese aircraft and those of his country, Australia and the United States.

Teodoro told The Associated Press in an interview that China's increasing aggression in the disputed waters was now considered the greatest threat to the national security of the Philippines and should also be regarded as a global threat because it could choke a key trade route crucial for global supply chains.

"The greatest external threat actually is Chinese aggression, Chinese expansionism and the attempt by China to change the international law through the use of force or acquiescence...or its attempt to reshape the world order to one that it controls," Teodoro said.

There was no immediate reaction by Chinese officials.

Confrontations over the strategic waterway, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety, have spiked between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy forces in the last two years. The long-seething territorial standoffs over the hotly-disputed shoals also involve Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Recent brushes involving Chinese military aircraft firing warning flares or flying dangerously close to drive away U.S., Australian and Philippine patrol aircraft have set off fresh alarms.

Teodoro said defense officials have discussed the possibility of China imposing a so-called Air Defense Identification Zone or any exclusion zone to restrict foreign aircraft movement in what Beijing regards as its airspace over the South China Sea.

"That is a very serious transgression of international law, which will demand our response," said Teodoro, a U.S.-educated lawyer and a licensed commercial pilot.

"The Philippines will take a combination of measures singularly and with like-minded nations to counteract" any such action by China, he said. "We have formulated contingency measures to respond or to have proper courses of action." He did not elaborate.

'Flying too close' and firing flares

Last month, a Chinese navy helicopter flew within 10 feet (3 meters) of a Philippine patrol turbo-prop plane it warned had encroached in what Beijing calls its airspace over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, prompting the Filipino pilot to warn by radio: "You are flying too close, you are very dangerous."

An AP journalist and other invited foreign media on the plane witnessed the tense 30-minute standoff as the Philippine plane pressed on with its low-altitude patrol around Scarborough with the Chinese navy helicopter hovering close above it or flying to its left in cloudy weather.

The Chinese military, referring to Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name, said at the time that the plane had "illegally entered the airspace of China's Huangyan Island without the Chinese government's permission."

Australia separately protested last month after accusing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet of firing flares that passed within 30 meters (100 feet) of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet in daylight and in international air space over the disputed waters.

China's foreign ministry responded by accusing the Australian military aircraft of "deliberately" intruding into what it called Chinese airspace over the disputed Paracel Islands.

The U.S. military has also reported encountering such dangerous maneuvers by Chinese air force aircraft in the past over the disputed waters, where it has deployed fighter jets and navy ships to promote freedom of navigation and overflight.

In 2013, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced that it has set an Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea that covers the airspace above a chain of islands disputed by China and Japan.

Beijing then issued a set of rules for the zone, saying all aircraft must notify Chinese authorities and are subject to emergency military measures if they do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing.

Japan, the United States, Australia, South Korea and other countries ignored China's declared air defense zone and rules.

A 'coalition' against China?

Teodoro said blocs of security alliances among Asian and Western countries, including the Philippines, the U.S., Japan and Australia, have emerged and could band together in a broader coalition in the future against China's aggression.

China has accused the U.S. along with its treaty allies of "ganging up" against Beijing and threatening regional security and harmony.

But Teodoro said "it is China's own behavior that is the best motive for like-minded countries to band together because what it is doing is entirely unacceptable to a majority of the countries in the Indo-Pacific."

Despite concerns over President Donald Trump's moves to roll back U.S. security aid to allies worldwide, Teodoro was confident the Philippines' long treaty alliance with the U.S. would continue.

"The Philippines has a truly unique relationship with the United States," he said, adding that the decades-old alliance has "stood the test of time."

[Jacob]

Sure, why not. Let's have a war in the Pacific. That'll liven things up a bit.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Sure, why not. Let's have a war in the Pacific. That'll liven things up a bit.

The furthest I've ever gotten in that game is like April 1940. It's still a blast just to play a few months, but I can never stick around much beyond that.