Is the Chinese Economy About to Fall Off a Cliff?

[Monoriu]

Does the UK have a republican form of government?  My understanding is - no.

[Admiral Yi]

Does the UK have a republican form of government?  My understanding is - no.

By definition a monarchy, even a constitutional one, is not a republic.

[MadImmortalMan]

They don't even have a constitution.

[Valmy]

Does the UK have a republican form of government?  My understanding is - no.

Correct.  They are a theocratic absolute monarchy in theory.

[Barrister]

They don't even have a constitution.

This isn't remotely correct.  The UK has a constitution.

It just isn't a written constitution.

[MadImmortalMan]

They don't even have a constitution.

This isn't remotely correct.  The UK has a constitution.

It just isn't a written constitution.

Hahahahaha. Good one.

[sbr]

Inside joke? 

[Razgovory]

It have a degree in medicine.  Not a written degree, mind you.

[Martim Silva]

As an European, our view of what a Republic is, is that it is a State that is not led by a Monarch (King/Queen or Emperor), nor by Priests (that's a Theocracy).

The other forms are "republican".

Now, what there are is different types of Republics, with many variants. China and the US are both Republics, but otherwise have different systems of government.

(and there are also some big differences between the US and Western European Republics, too).

Of course, the United Kingdom is NOT a Republic. It is democratic, but certainly not Republican.

I could say here that one of the main differences is that the US is a Representative Republic and China is a one-party totalitarian republic, but my dealings with China have been making me doubt the 'totalitarian' part that theoretically exist.

I mean, most people don't even realize the amount of Free Press China has. Which was a surprise for me, and I've argued a LOT with said Free Press, which seems to just see faults in everything the Chinese government does. It reached the point where I actually asked the state officials that were with me if those reporters should not be arrested, to which they said 'of course not', to my utter dismay 

Also, people there seem rather free to say a lot of things. While many in the streets prefer not to talk about politics (even though far more than I'd like do), in political echelons there seems to be little problem in smiling and leaving pretty damn clear that the chinese authorities no longer really believe that the country is Socialist, even though the actual words in that sense are not said. You can certainly speak more freely about many things without being arrested than in most PC-countries in Western Europe, that's for sure.

Anyway, enough ranting. Case in point: the Chinese Enconomy.

Although slowing, the signs of collapse are simply not there (Beijing always made sure it had enough cash reserves to bail out all of its banks if needs be), and one must, while talking about this, bear in mind that Russia caved in and signed this year a deal to supply oil and gas to China at a price far lower than East Asian nations usually pay. The ducts are being installed (the major oil one is already operating), and the whole set-up will be up and going by 2018.

The access to cheaper energy should then give a rather large boost to Chinese economic growth (I believe some US politicians have referred to the Western sanctions on Russia as the 'China Recovery Act'), and if anything I expect Chinese growth to increase noticeably after 2018.

[Jacob]

The Constitution specifically requires the states to have Republican forms of government.

And what are the characteristics of a Republican form of government?

[garbon]

MSil, you crazy!

[Eddie Teach]

It reached the point where I actually asked the state officials that were with me if those reporters should not be arrested, to which they said 'of course not', to my utter dismay 

Take out a restraining order if the paparazzi are bothering you too much.

[The Brain]

Does the UK have a republican form of government?  My understanding is - no.

By definition a monarchy, even a constitutional one, is not a republic.

Poland.

[crazy canuck]

They don't even have a constitution.

This isn't remotely correct.  The UK has a constitution.

It just isn't a written constitution.

Hahahahaha. Good one.

[The Minsky Moment]

UK constitution is not codified but it can be found in writing - lots of House of Lords decisions and the like.