What’s China Up To?

Presidente da República popular da China, Xi Jinping

Today, the world’s attention is on Russia, whose aggression at the Ukrainian border is sending the global stock markets into a tailspin.  Of course, at any moment, this could get far worse.

In any case, right now our eyes are off China.  They are worrisome, to be sure, but their strategy for world domination is much more likely to be economic than military.

Moreover, they’re not in a hurry. They’ve been at this for six millennia, and a couple of years here or there won’t make a bit of difference.

No one knows exactly what went through Xi Jinping’s mind when he learned that Donald Trump had initiated a trade war against him, but one has to believe he laughed.  “Here’s a boob who knows no more about international trade than does the guy who shines my shoes, and he thinks he’s going to force an advantage for himself over the PRC.  Sure.”

Speaking of economics, the graphic below shows their growth in high-speed rail, and it illustrates what China does best: invest in itself.