Long-term demographic trends

In the Wilson Quarterly, Martin Walker provides an overview of population growth projections for various regions of the world. In 2050 the number of births in the United States might be almost as large as in China, and India will be the world’s most populous country.

China: Is not buying Treasuries a real option?

Yesterday’s statements by Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao expressing “worry” over China’s investments in U.S. debt and calling on the U.S. to “guarantee the safety of China’s assets” have prompted renewed concern over the potential impact on the U.S. economy of China selling its U.S. assets, or reducing its buying.

This perspective by Rick Newman on the Seeking Alpha site explains why China might find it difficult to carry out a threat to dump Treasuries. It could happen, but the results could be more catastrophic for China than they would be for the United States.

Giant rat caught in China

UK Telegraph (via Boing Boing) reports on a six pound rat caught in the city of Fuzhou.

 

China unrest worse than what’s being reported?

According to this report by Boing Boing, the economic downturn is fueling political unrest in China, as unemployment rises.

Report: Global Trends 2025

This is the National Intelligence Council’s latest effort to foresee future global trends and possible scenarios. I haven’t read it yet. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to do so soon and post some observations. One trend that was well described in the previous report in this series is the enormous demographic challenge facing China. The one-child policy and the ability to select the gender of children are likely to lead to a leveling off of the population toward mid-century, and is already causing a growing imbalance between men and women in the population.

China’s “little emperors”

This article in Psychology Today explores the social challenges China faces as it raises a new generation of “little emperors” in an era of rising incomes and aspirations. China has become a nation of only children over time as a result of the one-child-per-family policy.

Via SciTech Daily.