China

China CLOBBERS The US In Auto Sales, Becomes GM’s Nirvana (Unless You Have To Breathe)

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on China CLOBBERS The US In Auto Sales, Becomes GM’s Nirvana (Unless You Have To Breathe)

The air in China can get so bad that the whole world talks about it. Though the government is taking the issue seriously and is doing a million things to get the fiasco under control, it remains unclear what exactly people will breathe ten years from now.

So This Isn’t Exactly A Rosy Outlook For 2014, Or Something

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on So This Isn’t Exactly A Rosy Outlook For 2014, Or Something

Central banks rule! We’ve seen it in 2013. They’ve accomplished the impossible: separating stock markets from the economies they’re based on. But in 2014, the US and China are trying to unwind these crazy policies – without taking down the entire global economy.

Young Woman in China Buy Maseratis

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Young Woman in China Buy Maseratis

In the US and Europe, 95% of the buyers are male. Average age is 55. What’s different in China?

Is the Giant Siberian Oilfield to be Developed by Russia and China Radioactive?

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on Is the Giant Siberian Oilfield to be Developed by Russia and China Radioactive?

By Joao Peixe of Oilprice.com: The deal between Rosneft and China National Petroleum Corp to jointly develop a giant oilfield in Siberia may be tainted. I’m not talking about corruption or illegal activities, but rather the potential that the oil and gas in the field may be contaminated with radioactive materials from nuclear explosions.

American Boondoggle Meets Chinese Methods

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on American Boondoggle Meets Chinese Methods

BYD, the name of a Chinese electric vehicle and solar panel maker, stands for “Build Your Dream.” Maybe that’s what they’re trying to do in China. But here, they’re building a nightmare: broken promises, falsehoods, design flaws… all lushly funded by American taxpayers. And they paid Chinese workers in California $1.50 per hour to do it.

China’s Back-Door Natural Gas Supply

by Contributor •  • Comments Off on China’s Back-Door Natural Gas Supply

By Dave Forest, OilPrice.com: One of the most critical changes in global energy flows we’ve seen for years happened this week.

Delirious Construction And Property Bubbles Prop Up China GDP (And Buy Social Stability For Now)

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Delirious Construction And Property Bubbles Prop Up China GDP (And Buy Social Stability For Now)

China’s economy grew barely above the government-decreed minimum of 7.5%. Deep frustrations simmer beneath the surface and can explode at any time. To maintain social stability, the government douses the land with money. Growth at any cost. But the results are majestic property and construction bubbles – and they can’t be inflated forever.

Next Step In Dismantling The Dollar And US Credit Hegemony

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Next Step In Dismantling The Dollar And US Credit Hegemony

The US has abused its three phenomenal privileges – including the control of the only world currency – to put global financial stability at risk, “like a truck full of dynamite heading right toward us,” said the chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Universal Credit Rating Group. But a “new financial order” is forming. And there’s a timeframe.

Supercars In The US, Japan, and China: How QE And Corruption Boosted Sales

by Wolf Richter •  • Comments Off on Supercars In The US, Japan, and China: How QE And Corruption Boosted Sales

Supercar-makers Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce are reacting to the forces whacking global markets for luxury products: a corruption crackdown in China, Abenomics in Japan, and the Fed’s money-printing in the US. The idea that sales in China, which is printing billionaires by the dozens, are crashing is a hard-to-swallow concept for the industry.

“When Will China Be More Expensive Than The US?”

by Oilprice.com •  • Comments Off on “When Will China Be More Expensive Than The US?”

With wages increasing and strikes engulfing the country, the cheap labor force that fueled China’s economic boom by underselling competitors is coming to an end. The game is to move factories into the interior. But costs of land, water, energy, and shipping are also rising. So, offshoring to cheaper countries. But….