Hotznplotzn

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2d ago

I fully agree. It's a concerning that many journalists like these from the BBC don't appear to understand that such things are not the result of an organically grown development but rather a controlled influence campaign. The article cites "influencers" and social media stats, but the journalists should know that such sources paint a hopelessly false picture of reality.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2d ago

A quick reminder that African countries, while delivering mostly commodities while importing high-end products, have been facing a growing trade deficit with China. Their dependence on China is growing as this kind of trade policy is a big obstacle to develop African industries and manufacturing capabilities.

It is also noteworthy that China uses this leverage for political purposes. For example, all African countries support China's aggression against Taiwan and what Beijing "reunification" (which is false, as Taiwan was never part of mainland China). The only exemption here is Eswatini, a small country in the South of the African continent that maintains an embassy in Taipei, and Taiwan maintains an embassy in Eswatini's capital Mbabane.

2

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2d ago

This is not a 'trend' but a controlled influence campaign by the Chinese party-state.

"As a Chinese person who has been online throughout years and years of heavy Sinophobia, it felt refreshing to have the mainstream opinion finally shift regarding China," Claire, a Chinese-Canadian TikTok user, tells BBC Chinese.

There has been no "heavy sinophobia" but reports that were and still are critical about the Chinese government. Nor does the mainstream opinion now shift as people are still if not even more aware of Beijing's atrocities. This is just an influencer saying something like that for money, and I would like to know who pays her.

The article itself says later:

[Chinese state media and the government] have sought to portray the US as a decaying superpower because of inequality, a weak social safety net and a broken healthcare system. According to a commentary in state-owned Xinhua, the "kill line" meme "underscores how far the lived reality can drift from the ideals once broadcast to the world".

And:

It's little wonder that Chinese authorities are pleased with Chinamaxxing [...] Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said [...] he was "happy" to see foreigners experiencing the "everyday life of ordinary Chinese people".

Sure, they are pleased. They control the entire campaign on social media.

As the article says at the end:

It's hard to know what Chinese people make of so many things because all public conversation and activity is heavily policed. Criticising the government is risky and protests are quickly quashed.

Tere is a lot the memes making it to the West don't show. China's youth are facing an unemployment rate that sits at more than 15% and burning out from a gruelling work culture, yet sharing too much of their pessimism online could alert internet censors. They are worried about finding a home as the country's property crisis continues, and dating is no easier than anywhere else.

Yes, and there is a lot more what is not displayed on Chinese social media given the state's censorship.

The headline and the article are highly misleading imo. This is pure Chinese Communist Party propaganda.

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 5d ago

Yeah, South Africa's exports to China in 2025 stood at USD 13.6 billion, up 9.6% year-on-year.

South Africa's imports from China in 2025 grew to USD 24.9 billion, up 14.6%.

South Africa's trade deficit with China has been growing in recent years.

South Africa is also supporting Beijing's one-China policy and says Taiwan is part of China. Economic and political coercion works it seems.

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 5d ago

Yeah, South Africa's exports to China in 2025 stood at USD 13.6 billion, up 9.6% year-on-year.

South Africa's imports from China in 2025 grew to USD 24.9 billion, up 14.6%.

South Africa's trade deficit with China has been growing in recent years.

South Africa is also supporting Beijing's one-China policy and says Taiwan is part of China. Economic and political coercion works it seems.

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 5d ago

Yes, in a nutshell, this is what we have been observing over the recent years. Many Chinese carmakers have gone bankrupt or halted production over the years, and the remaining are struggling with fierce price wars in China's domestic market.

For 2026 the outlook is not too positive. Cui Dongshu, the Secretary General of the Chinese Passenger Car Association (CPCA), predicted "zero growth or slightly positive growth" for 2026, according to Chinese state media. Based on CPCA data, we'll likely see China's auto market in 2026 on track for the worst year since 2020 when the economy was disrupted by the pandemic.

A China Automobile Dealers Association survey showed that 41% of surveyed dealers expected lower sales targets from automakers in 2026 and 18.1% of those surveyed forecast a drop of more than 10%, Reuters reported.

Analysts -in China and abroad- largely agree that the major factor in China is low consumer confidence due to a weak economy. They also say that China's car manufacturers become increasingly dependent on export markets. We will see how the EU and other markets will respond as the Chinese party-state subsidizes the industry and thus its overproduction heavily.

@jacksilver@lemmy.world

4

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 5d ago

It's not only Tesla. According to official data, China's auto sales fall at fastest pace in nearly two years in January

Domestic car sales in China drop 19.5% from the year before to 1.4 million vehicles, the biggest decline since February 2024
Electric cars and plug-in hybrids, which had previously been outpacing the overall market, fell 22.9 per cent in January
China's champion BYD’s sales were hit particularly hard in January, falling 30 per cent, higher than the industry average
Subsidised auto trade-ins exceeded 11.5 million vehicles in 2025, accounting for nearly half the total vehicle sales

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 1w ago

The bit about what the Chagos islanders actually want is the only part with any validity.

This should be enough to reverse the Chagos Islands deal.

It wouldn't make sense if imperialism of the past by the UK is followed by imperialism of China-ally Mauritius. It's wrong here and there.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 1w ago

Chagossian people [...] have made it clear they do not want the islands to fall into Mauritian hands.

Addition: Last year, Chagossians took their fight against the UK deal to the UN by writing to the committee asking for an advisory opinion that the UK should not sign the deal over human rights concerns.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 1w ago

Murdoch owns the Times and the UK must get rid of these Palantir contracts. But this is has nothing to do with the topic.

The majority of the Chagossian people have made it clear they do not want the islands to fall into Mauritian hands. But Chinese propagandists do as Mauritius is a strong ally of China in the region. All others, especially the people of Chagos Island, don't want that.

3

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 1w ago

Chagossian people [...] the majority of whom have made it clear they do not want the islands to fall into Mauritian hands.

The native people living there don't want the island to be under Mauritius' control, and they have certainly always known the island.

Those who are supporting UK's move are mainly pro-China propagandists, as Mauritius is a strong ally of China in the region. You may be right that many of them might not have known 6 months ago that the island even existed.

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 1w ago

This is fake news, as some others have already have said.

There is one Chinese fund that doesn't want to buy the remaining minority stake in an Israeli project for financial reasons and it cites this alleged ban by the Chinese government. But such a ban doesn't exist.

Both trade between the Israel and China as well as Chinese investment in Israel remain a level. For example, as one report on China-Israel economic cooperation by the Middle East Institute - authored by Chinese scholar Dr Zhu Zhaoyi - says:

On 20 August 2025, Chinese Ambassador to Israel Xiao Junzheng published a signed article in Calcalist, Israel’s largest financial daily, entitled “China’s growth can usher in a new era for China-Israel cooperation”. He highlighted that, while geographically distant, China and Israel remain highly complementary partners [...]

In May 2025, a dedicated life‑sciences matchmaking event in Tel Aviv led to six new Israeli projects, including energy management systems and carbonates technology, signing agreements to enter the park, underscoring its growing role in emerging-health innovation.

Meanwhile, the “Guang‑Israel Tech Changzhou Innovation Institute”, co-located within the park, onboarded 10 seed projects, five start-ups, and sealed three industry-academia-research cooperation agreements during its 2025 launch ceremony, highlighting the platform’s increasing capacity for commercialisation and talent development.

There are many other reports pointing in the same direction. Israel-China ties are strong, including Chinese investment in Israel.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2w ago

You apparently have (intentionally?) misunderstood the article.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2w ago

This is an opinion piece and should at least marked as such.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2w ago

@QinShiHuangsShlong@hexbear.net

The whatabouter is you here.

Holding back with an assessment of the case and waiting for the results? The results will be published by the same party that holds them imprisoned, and these stories are well known in China.

The journalists who investigated the corruption are detained, while the official walks free. As the article also says, one of them has already been detained in 2013 for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” - an euphemism for expressing an opinion against the party line - and for allegedly “fabricating and spreading rumours,” but was later released on bail after spending a year in detention - just for publishing the truth.

1

Hotznplotzn @lemmy.sdf.org 2w ago

There are lots of good reports about the Russian economy, and they all point in this same direction.