R_P wrote:

In plate tectonics, triple junctions are known for being very unstable things.  

I assume you have been to China, Richard? A couple of times, at least?
Yes?

Not provocative!
US Releases $870 Million in Military Aid for Taiwan, Angering China
The US has sold weapons to Taiwan for decades and started providing US-funded aid in 2023

The US has quietly released $870 million in funding for military aid to Taiwan after it was briefly paused during the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid.

Reuters first reported on February 21 that the US released the military aid for Taiwan as part of $5.3 billion in exemptions from the foreign aid pause. China, which strongly opposes US military support for Taiwan, reacted to the news on February 26.

“We are deeply concerned over relevant reports,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. “China has all along opposed US military assistance to China’s Taiwan region, which has severely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, undermined China’s sovereignty and security interests, and sent a gravely wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

Lin added that China urges the US to “stop arming Taiwan and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

The US has always sold weapons to Taiwan since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei as part of a normalization agreement with Beijing in 1979, but it wasn’t until 2023 that the US began providing US-funded military aid, a step that marked a significant escalation. In 2024, President Biden signed off on more than $1 billion in military aid for Taiwan.

The US military support is done in the name of deterrence, but it has only escalated tensions in the region. During a press conference on February 27, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian issued a strong warning against US involvement in Taiwan, which has been encouraged by the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“The Taiwan question is an internal affair of China, which brooks no external interference. The US side wants to contain China with Taiwan and connives at risky and provocative activities of the DPP authorities for ‘Taiwan independence.’ This strategy will ultimately backfire,” Wu said.

“The DPP authorities have an illusion of ‘soliciting US support for independence’ and ‘resisting unification by force.’ It is a serious miscalculation of the situation, the public opinion, and the comparison of strength. Overreaching itself in such a way is extremely dangerous,” Wu added. ” We warn the DPP authorities that holding back the tide with a broom will only end up in self-destruction. We will come and get you, sooner or later.”

President Trump recently declined to say whether or not the US would defend Taiwan if China attacked the island, reverting the US back to a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue, which was abandoned by President Biden. While Trump has a less bellicose tone toward China, the resumption of US military aid to Taiwan signals that the Trump administration will continue policies toward Taipei that Beijing views as very provocative.

Think tank "research" affected by USAID cuts

As of April 2024, the price of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is $8,000 for a one-time purchase, or $99 per month for a subscription. This is a 50% reduction from the previous price of $199 per month.

Trump's trade war: How has China responded?

Maher's latest (state-inculcated) phobia

China built out record amount of wind and solar power in 2024

China raced ahead building renewable energy last year, installing more wind and solar power than ever before and continuing to leave all other countries in the dust.

The nation put up 357 gigawatts of solar and wind, a 45% and 18% increase, respectively, over what was operating at the end of 2023, according to China’s National Energy Administration. That’s akin to building 357 full-size nuclear plants in one year.

The installations meant China surpassed a goal, six years early, of having 1,200 gigawatts from renewables by 2030, a benchmark Chinese President Xi Jinping set five years ago.

The scale of the advance is important because at the same time, China remains the country that currently contributes the most to climate change, relying heavily on burning coal to make electricity, cement and for manufacturing.

“While China’s overall emissions are the largest of any single country, they have recognized – at least, in part – that rapidly building renewables is essential for energy and climate security. Given the recent administration change in Washington, China is now well poised to lead the world in the energy transition,” said Daniel Jasper, senior policy advisor at Project Drawdown, a group that publicizes climate solutions.

According to Carbon Brief, China’s carbon dioxide emissions, which have been rising, actually fell slightly when you compare the last 10 months of 2024 with the same time the year before. It’s too early to say whether this marks an important turning point for the planet. (...)

went to one of my favorite pho shops
vietnamese sold to indian/chinese
pho still very good, but no banh mi

went a few before closing, one customer in the house
look over at the largest table in the center of the joint
a giant spread of food being brought out from the kitchen

i look at the host and he smiles and says chinese new year!
hope they had a good time

 R_P wrote:

Chinese culture can be beautiful.
Too bad their politics and (slave) economy sucks, even worse than the rest. 

Our Chinese neighbours had a modest five-minute celebration last night, unlike...

China’s Trade Surplus Reaches a Record of Nearly $1 Trillion
China’s vast exports in 2024 exceeded its imports on a scale seldom seen anywhere except during or immediately after the two world wars.

I caught Chinese man talking about me at a local market not knowing i know chinese

 R_P wrote:

I drove a Ford once.

Never again!

Crappiest design and engineering of the obviously cheapest kind. No need to say more.

Hey, Taiwan..