One of China's dirty little secrets: Real estate bubblicious...

**canuck** · June-24-11, 11:23 AM

Tell me how the world is fucked by central planning and billionaire making communistic capitalists.

There are an estimated 64 million vacant recently built apartments in China!
It makes the US and in particular Detroit the picture of sobriety. Imagine all this housing; the electrical and plumbing, the upkeep on that chunk of unused property, the amount of copper and concrete wasted on unaffordable housing for the people who built them. It makes Henry Ford look a little wiser in hindsight.
So China is really putting up a false picture of a successful economy like in the old days of Chairman Mao, bloating the GDP as well as not providing the access to housing to its population.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm7rO...layer_embedded

**old guy** · June-24-11, 11:51 AM

What worries me is that it seems like some of the extremely powerful people in this country would like to use China as a model for a new America. Cheap labor, strict laws, large military and screw the environment. I really do think this could be on the horizon if we don't speak up.

**Jimaz** · June-24-11, 01:32 PM

Thanks, canuck. Fascinating story.

The usual Google Maps links don't work well in that area but you can paste 34° 46' N, 113° 43' E into Google Maps to get some photos of the area. It looks pretty desolate.

**canuck** · June-24-11, 02:48 PM

Thanks Jimaz, I will look this up. I had heard of this bubble before but had no idea of the size and scope of it. The worrying thing is that there are fortunes being made in China on the backs of poor chinese workers who dont profit from easier living conditions. The other worry is that the chinese moneyed class backed by an implacable communist regime is buying up our resources in a big way.
There is the northern plan announced by Quebec Prime minister Jean Charest a couple of weeks ago which comprises the development of new mines in the north backed by among others, chinese and indian companies. The government talked about 80 billion dollars over the next 25 years to consolidate and or create 20000 jobs a year... Isnt it nice to think a lot of the stuff we send to China will end up in empty decrepit apartment towers and shopping malls that only serves to create wealth for a small minority?

**Patrick** · June-24-11, 06:28 PM

What worries me is that it seems like some of the extremely powerful people
in this country would like to use China as a model for a new America

They already are.

**Bigb23** · August-01-11, 12:43 PM

I had to tuck this post here to avoid littering the main board.

Well, China, I guess what goes around, comes around. Good luck finding work.

Apple product manufacturer Foxconn is reportedly planning to "hire" one million robots within three years.

First reported in Chinese newswire Xinhua, Foxconn chairman, founder, and CEO Terry Gou apparently announced at a "workers' dance party" on Friday that the robots will replace some of the routine tasks currently performed by humans, like spraying, welding, and assembling.

Gou also said Foxconn already has 10,000 robots and that the number will increase to 300,000 next year and one million in three years.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2389508,00.asp

**Papasito** · August-01-11, 01:03 PM

Cheap labor, strict laws, large military and screw the environment.

we can't consume our national resources because we are saving them for our future Chinese rulers

**Gannon** · August-01-11, 04:00 PM

Other side of this story is some 'Earth catastrophe' folks believe this isn't an issue. If you stop looking at it through Capitalist eyes for a moment...their government, like every one if you know what to look for, is expecting some global event soon.

Coastal areas MAY be greatly affected, and there is strong rumor that this over-capacity is merely where they will evacuate the people TO if and when that happens.

I'm quite serious about this, if it strikes you odd...there are at least five or six complete cities...I don't remember what the size comparison is, but I think they are Phoenix-sized and completely built...but also completely empty.

As with the other economic-judo moves they've done, they have also out-maneuvered us in disaster-planning. We've built a multi-billion dollar internal Martial law enforcement bureau, to quell the suspected riots and instability and deaths...they've simply built their people bedrooms and neighborhoods...in advance.

Cheers, watchin' the skies,
John

**old guy** · August-01-11, 04:09 PM

That is interesting. It does seem like there has to be some reason for all that empty real estate.

**Wingnatic** · August-01-11, 06:49 PM

Here you have a country who threatened another country [[Norway) with cutting their relationship because Norway awarded a Chinese National the Nobel Peace Prize lol !

**oladub** · August-01-11, 07:04 PM

My guess is that the 64 million number is high. I wonder though if this is a set up. Maybe the Communist government is happy to allow capitalists to spend their money on all this new housing. When the polarity gets too great between the haves and have nots, the government could order land reform and basically seize the property to give to the masses. All of a sudden, the population of China would be better housed as they are moved from their overcrowded shared units to the empty cities. Unharnessing and then taking advantage of capitalists would create more and better quality housing than Communists usually produce.

**Bigb23** · August-02-11, 07:47 AM

Here's a couple of amusing You Tubes on how fast they go up, and come back down again. China will rush out product, regardless of the quality.

Chinese Construct Hotel In 6 days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX_z6Mx6cH0

Massive Chinese building failed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ng-...eature=related

**Wingnatic** · August-02-11, 09:20 AM

These people don't care , when critical of them they'll threaten you with a breakdown in diplomacy . In that last week they have been busted with having a fake Ikea and Apple store complete with bogus products [[pirate stuff ... that is their forte) and its a full time job keeping their hackers out of our Government websites .

**Bigb23** · August-02-11, 09:26 AM

The funny thing is, I'm waiting for a video watch/camera that I ordered from the manufacturer in China. We'll see how that turns out. $41 + shipping, might be an interesting experiment.

**Bigb23** · August-04-11, 04:14 AM

I'm tired of the Chinese hacks on our Government and private enterprises. I will tell them every time I order. "Don't Hack Me,Brother"

Yahoo and Adobe appear to be among the companies that suffered the sort of cyberattack that led Google to threaten to withdraw from China. In its original announcement, Google said that "at least 20 other large companies from a wide range of businesses – including the internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors – have been similarly targeted".

However, Google did not name any names, and it did not actually say that the attacks were made by people acting on the behalf of the Chinese government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...a-cyber-attack

**Bigb23** · August-05-11, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Bigb23

The funny thing is, I'm waiting for a video watch/camera that I ordered from the manufacturer in China. We'll see how that turns out. $41 + shipping, might be an interesting experiment.

Thanks, DHL, you haven't been on my street for two years.
I now have this watch, and a 40 page manual in Engrish.

Attachment 10331

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOCD9...eature=related

Boy toys.

**Bigb23** · August-05-11, 05:41 PM

I hope it was pre-loaded with topgan.AVI

I still have a cheap stick cam on it's way. $16.99, free shipping.

**GOAT** · August-05-11, 07:25 PM

No sympathy BigB23. YOu get what you pay for and if wasn't for the masses buying this shit we might still have manufacturing building this stuff over here.

So to all who buys this shit from China [[or insert 3rd world nation to save yourself $10.00). thanks for fucking the rest of us.

**Bigb23** · August-05-11, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by GOAT

No sympathy BigB23. YOu get what you pay for and if wasn't for the masses buying this shit we might still have manufacturing building this stuff over here.

So to all who buys this shit from China [[or insert 3rd world nation to save yourself $10.00). thanks for fucking the rest of us.

Do you think we can turn this ship around now? I'd save some of that venom for the rich fat fuck's waddling around Wall Street, and not to a guy who has lost more than his fair share of work, do to offshoring. I can't afford $3000 an hour call girls, like Wall Street thrives on.

**Gannon** · August-06-11, 02:00 AM

"Install software is no obstruction".

Looks like they left translation to the lowest-paid person again...

"plug to use is easy" Uh-huh.

**GOAT** · August-06-11, 11:47 AM

Bigb, I don't disagree with you there at all. But it doesn'thelp when millions of people look to China to save a few dollars when purchasing goods either.

I haven't shopped at sprawl-mart in over 9 years and it hasn't harmed me or my budget.

I think it can be turned around when WE demand goods that WE want from manufacturers that are sourced here.