Will China Grow Rich before it Grows Old?

 Short answer: China is growing old. This is inevitable. In 1980, there were 3 times more people in their twenties than there were people in their sixties. 

Now, the number of people in their sixties is almost as many as the number of people in their twenties. And there are fewer younger people (below 20) and more people in their fifties that will soon be in their sixties.

This is inevitable.

But, China could get rich, right?

Tang Ping, Soshoku danshi, and opting out of the rat race.

I heard about the phenomena of "herbivore men" or soshoku danshi in Japan. These may be otaku who decide that sex and relationships are just too complicated. Or, more positively, they are the Satori Generation, who have "achieved the Buddhist enlightened state free from material desires".

I did not realise that this phenomena is also present in Hong Kong.

In Korea, there is the Sampo Generation. And the Strawberry Generation in Taiwan.

And in China, some men (and maybe women too?) have decided that in the face of unrelenting social and economic pressure to succeed, and the irrepressible rat race and work pressure, the best resistance, is to "lie flat" (tang ping). 

Denying (Cancelling?) Joe Biden Communion

 From a newsletter:

4. Pope Francis, above, warned conservative U.S. bishops to back down from their push to deny communion to politicians supportive of abortion rights.

That includes President Biden, the first Roman Catholic to occupy the Oval Office in 60 years.

Despite the Vatican’s remarkably public stop sign, the bishops will most likely force a debate this week. The effort could shatter their facade of unity with Rome and set what church historians consider a dangerous precedent for bishops’ conferences across the globe.

Would China Invade Taiwan?

With all the posturing, and aggressive actions by China, all the war-mongering rhetoric and threats, the world has been wondering: are we on the brink of war? Is China preparing to take Taiwan by force? And if so, would the US come to Taiwan's defence?

Active and actual war with China (PRC) is unlikely. (Tho PLA could continue to up the irritation level with incursions into sea and air space.) For several reasons.

On the Importance of Taiwan

At about 12:36 in the video below, Taiwan is described as "the most important country in the world".

(Yes, 'country'. But I'm not John Cena - see below - and I don't have a movie to promote in China, so I'm not apologising.) 

Anyway, the earlier part of the video covers China's efforts to become a chip superpower.

It failed.