Michael Sheridan - Does Xi Jinping's Iron Grip Over CCP & China come at the Cost of Economic Growth?

[@kikemarugan4843]

Kudos to the two of you for shining some light into the dark box that is China! Many, many thanks for this interview ❤

[@SiliconCurtain]

Our pleasure!

[@H3LLS3NT4SS4SS1N]

“Grievance culture” and “grievance politics” are very useful terms for describing and analyzing Russian and Chinese civilization and politics, and that of most authoritarian/revisionist countries (serbia, Hungary, Palestine, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc…)

[@williamzk9083]

Russias grievance seems to be that it wasn’t allowed to imperially control and oppress Eastern Europe.

[@НатальяТерехова-с6х]

Вы забыли добавить в список авторитарных и ревизионерских стран США и Германию).

[@guidobolke5618]

​@@НатальяТерехова-с6х Ein Clown.

[@CarolynAcosta-mw2dl]

FANTASTIC! I learned so much, please have him again.

[@paularivero1878]

Amazing interview. I have learned a lot about this obscure country which is China. Thank you so much❤

[@ricktasker8248]

Michael Sheridan is very knowledgeable and articulate about China and its leader. "We can pretty much divine what the strategic thinking is in Beijing by what they do".

[@janstageman2412]

Thank you Jonathan for one of the most interesting discussions yet. And thank you Michael Sheridan for your knowledgeable and informative contribution. I learnt a lot about China and Xi tonight, and I also had a lot of my own theories confirmed !! This is such a fascinating program format, I am so often delayed from my supper, due to the very necessary constant attendance to every word from highly intelligent and experienced guests. Just great ! Keep it comig, please. 😊

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍 so kind - thank you. I feel guilty about your delayed dinner though?!

[@janstageman2412]

@SiliconCurtain 🤣 well, don't be ... the loss of a few inches is a worthwhile end result- so thanks for that as well 😄

[@deanejoyce5393]

Outstanding! Timely!

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@JustinTimeEnglishClip]

Another great interview! Keep it coming.

[@elizabethfitzgibbon3908]

Great clarity. Great lecture!

[@marisabenson1222]

There is a huge Chinese diaspora in Australia that grows yearly so much so that it's hard to believe that in Sydney they only make up 10%. They invest heavily in Real Estate and though it is disputed, I believe that is one of the drivers behind the absurd cost of both purchasing and renting a property. Are Chinese rejecting their country's system of government and choosing to invest in democratic countries? How does the information of those who have emigrated filter back to their friends and families? The pressure on Australia's housing market in big cities is concerning.

[@gerryhouska2859]

Not just big cities, mate. It's the same in regional Queensland.

[@ptonpc]

Could be something similar to Russian oligarchs and various despots from other countries buying up property and infrastructure etc in the UK. Large parts of the country is now owned by people from hostile nations.

[@davidradtke160]

It’s the same in lots of cities in the US too but we also had Russians hiding money in New York, Toronto etc. The Chinese with money don’t seem to buy stocks or bonds etc, they just by property. And not even commercial or rental property, private residences, condos and houses almost exclusively.

[@scottsmith7051]

Brilliant Interview!

[@cenccenc946]

another excellent one. 👌 👏 👍

[@leannevandekew1996]

China has always had emperors, Russia it's czars.

[@mike4480]

..Thanks for the update..great interview with a great guest…💙💛💙

[@normandduern2413]

Superb episode.

[@TheAmericanDreamLives]

Hello Jonathan 👋 Another exceptional interview with another exceptional guest. I learned so much and was particularly fascinated by the subtle differences between russia and China and how this impacts their relationship. It shows just how well russian propaganda works as they scramble to be friends with anyone that will take them. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦🇬🇧💙💛

[@irongron]

I think it's time to start referring to "President" Xi as Chairman Xi.

[@Guy-Lewis]

Or Emperor Xi, which, given his imperialist ambitions, strikes me as even more apt.

[@irongron]

@@Guy-Lewis Yes, he is Dabbling in both Maoism and Confucianism, Chairman Emperor Xi!

[@Guy-Lewis]

Interesting! I appreciate the bigger-picture broadening of analysis.

[@saint-miscreant]

Great interview, the internal dynamics of Chinese politics are endlessly fascinating and it's always great to hear discussion on it. As someone from SE Asia you can imagine it's of interest 😆 Michael does let slip certain turns of phrase very typical of what one tends to hear from Western analysts, but overall he doesn't stray into the vaguely alarmist territory that some (mostly American) commentators are prone to saying, which is appreciated :) by the way, I would love to see some discussion of Central Asia on the channel! I feel like (apart from Afghanistan which is a bit half-in-half-out) it's generally not given much attention. Maybe you could have someone on to talk about a related topic like the politics of water?

[@supersasquatch]

an easy yes to the question

[@lsees5753]

Geez, when I was in college (FSU, 1974-78) many Chinese were welcome. Unfortunately, 1 Chinese foreign student in the chemistry program shot his professor when he couldn’t make the grade. The pressure the Chinese students were under was enormous, failure was life ending. We couldn’t understand his response. In the US when you fail, you find something else to do. Tragic pressures.

[@mariiakravchenko3009]

Fantastic interview!

[@Bob-nd2mr]

Tibet demonstrates that being peaceful in the face of chinese communist coercion is fatal but being aggressive in the face of aggression is fatal too. Peace is probably not possible and we have no choice but talking is humans solution to the conundrum. Tibet is what happens if people are ruled by coercion . Tibet is the end point if CCP rule

[@leannevandekew1996]

An inciteful book related to China's culture of leadership is: _*The Rise of Early Modern Science Islam, China and the West*_.

[@petergerdes1094]

This was a great interview, but it still left me with my basic question about Xi: why would he care enough about Taiwan to risk anything like an invasion? I know the history, but Xi seems perfectly capable of deciding not to pursue historical grievences when it suits him and for all I appreciate that China would love to absorb Taiwan's economy they have to know that an invasion would leave it a smoking ruin. So then is it all a bluff? Xi benefits from the Taiwanese *issue* and actually invading would cost him that issue? Or does Xi have the same kind of belief that Putin does: the existence of a free, rich and Chinese state so nearby presents an existential threat? Given the efficacy of the Chinese system of control and influence that seems much less plausible. So what's the deal? Is Xi just hoping that eventually bellicose rhetoric will let them retake Taiwan peacefully or what?

[@davidradtke160]

It’s the dues to the strategic value of what China calls the first island chain, which is the islands etc around China that could restrict maritime shipping to China if it wanted. Tiawan, Japan and South Korean cover a lot of Chinas cost only a hundred miles or less away. Some times the Philippines is included in this, which is why China has conflict with them too. All are close US Allie’s or have US military bases. Conquering Taiwan would break that chain a bit and reduce US power and influence right off the cost of China.

[@petergerdes1094]

@@davidradtke160 That still doesn't really make sense. The reason you want to be in a better strategic position is because of the fear you'll get into a war and be at a disadvantage. Starting a war while *burdened* by that strategic disadvantage makes no sense. You're literally initiating the very thing you might hope to avoid by winning. If that's the reason surely the right move for China is to instead bide their time and attempt to either gain control of Taiwan without war or pry some of those US allies away. Or until you get a US president willing to make it clear they won't come to Taiwan's defense (Biden won't make that clear, Trump's much more isolationist but also more hawkish on China so unclear but who knows what the future could bring). Even given concerns about Chinese demographics China is still improving their capability to launch an amphibious invasion at a much faster rate than Taiwan is improving their ability to defend.

[@levonlarson4048]

​@@petergerdes1094 I very much agree with you, I don't see any way that the geopolitical calculus works out in the CCPs favour if they were to take drastic kinetic measures against Taiwan in the near future. However, as alluded to by Sheridan and other premier Sinologists such as Rudd, Shirk etc, we should not underestimate the role of ideology in the CCPs decision making. After all, the wolf warrior policy was probably the least calculated and most counter-productive diplomacy short of war that I've ever read about. We ultimately don't know why they pursued that policy but there are indicators that within the party, there were considerable disagreements regarding it. It could be that so much nationalism has been stirred up that the ideologues are resonating at a higher frequency than the pragmatists.

[@petergerdes1094]

@@levonlarson4048 Ok, that makes sense to me. But is the idea that Xi himself may feel some kind of ideological conviction here or that if he fails to deliver on this then he'll lose power (or suffer some other negative consequence, eg to his legacy, he is, after all, a pretty old man so he probably doesn't expect to personally retain power for more than another 10-15 years)?

[@levonlarson4048]

@@petergerdes1094 Xi definitely has an ideological conviction to complete reunification, not only has he tied his legacy to it publicly, but he's also amplified national sentiment around it. So much national sentiment in fact, that it's possible that he's backed himself into a corner. So now he has his own ideological motivation to succeed but also the pressure from the public to not fail. Which of those two factors is now driving the bus, and when and how (and if) the bus gets to Taiwan is something we only speculate. It's likely, as many have suspected that he wants to complete the task in his lifetime. If he doesn't though, the public sentiment to reunify will remain. It's a similar (as in not exactly the same) dynamic that Anna Arutunyan argues "forced" Putin's hand in the Donbass (not in Crimea). Mark Galeotti mentioned her book (Hybrid Warriors) on one of Jonathan's videos, but I haven't seen her on here. Worth a read if you're into this channel I suppose.

[@G0ldfingers]

National Security is at risk, China is the manufacturing base, since we lost ours, we have lost our last Steel Blast Furnace today, and new ones are owned by Chinese Company, the US is de-risking by bringing back manufacturing and tech, when the inevitable happens we will not have any manufacturing left, they also own energy and nuclear power stations. All Chinese Companies have to report to the CCP if asked. We need to onshore manufacturing again now.

[@18_rabbit]

yeah, 'cept if the shitzel hits the fan, we will 'buy' those chinese owned american-located facilities including steel producers if we can't buy steel from other friendly countries like Korea, etc. China is in a bind: their main customer is europe and the U.S. They dn't have a ton of options at all. And they truly will not be able to get hands on TSCM technology in Taiwan. I'm sure TSMC will destroy it if chinese forces get near it. Bcuz ultimately that can be remade in the US by TSMC. Or in Japan perhaps. China..will..not..be allowed to take Taiwan and get value from it.

[@np4029]

Like their northern neighbour, China never stopped being an Empire

[@JayDeeChannel]

The Chinese diaspora will help to get the message back to the mother country.

[@SiliconCurtain]

Let’s hope so…

[@artmcteagle]

I'm not sure about this, the CCP has it's agents in the diaspora, also notoriously, secret 'police stations'. Chinese Nationals living overseas have been subjected to harassment, assaults and threats. Chinese international students are secretly monitored. There are reports, where China blackmails/cons it's critics overseas in returning to China, only to be subsequently arrested. Arrested innocent people are often used as political bargaining chips. Most Chinese Nationals living abroad are aware of all of this and keep a low profile.

[@solconcordia4315]

The message is that the "South China Sea" is an integral and inseparable part of the dominion of the U.S.A. Navy to ensure the freedom of navigation for trade, fought over worldwide by the U.S.A. at least as early as the War of 1812. The U.S.A. doesn't countenance smaller countries being bullied by stronger countries and was the championing force behind post-WWII decolonization. The U.S.A. had enough of being treated as unequal colonies by its colonial masters.

[@elainediggle3751]

It is good to hear from knowledgeable people a calm and factual and nuanced discussion without american style hyperbole. Thankyou 😊

[@spiritualdeath101]

Well done. You're finally getting your teeth into the Chinese dimension. I recommend 'Hidden Hand' - a book by Clive Hamilton & Marieke Ohlberg. Also buy and read 'China Daily' which is a weekly pamphlet written by Xi's media team.

[@malcolmanspach2035]

There is so much Truth in what you Guys say Total Respect XX

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@sumiland6445]

💛💙💜💙💛 listening now 😄 can't wait 12 hours!! 🇺🇦 🌏 🇺🇸 18:26 Xi has presented Putin with maps twice in the last few months that change some of what Putin considered Russia now being part of China. Is that how Putin is paying for help from China?

[@SiliconCurtain]

👍👍👍

[@gerryhouska2859]

China should get Manchuria back, The time is unlikely to be more propitious.

[@trevorroberts9584]

​@gerryhouska2859 China wants Russia to be even weaker militarily. They also want Russia to be even more dependent on them economically. :)

[@hrvojesvetec3058]

Russia is another story imo..Putin and many around him are INSANE,genocide liars who NEED,MUST be STOPPED in Ukraine!

[@WalterBurton]

👍👍👍

[@elizabethfitzgibbon3908]

Discuss lsreal & Gaza.Ukraine . Such clarity & knowledge

[@liberty_and_justice67]

Read Red Emporer. Interesting and entertaining read🎉

[@njswampfox474]

Using democratic Poland to analogize to Communist China is patently absurd. Not only does it ignore Polish history and the Polish people's democratic and independent political nature, it overstates the authoritarian streak of the Duda-led government. Bravo to Sheridan for briskly shooting down any such analogy to a China without a democratic history.

[@SiliconCurtain]

It wasn’t an analogy for China…. I don’t think you were listening too closely…

[@njswampfox474]

​@@SiliconCurtainI was listening closely. It was a ridiculous implication. You made a cavaliere mistake which is more revelatory of a parochial partisan bias, which though not important in the grand scheme of things with respect to Ukraine's freedom, sovereignty, democracy and independence, is important when it comes to disseminating the truth and facts that support the truth. Don't get me wrong, I and 90+% of Poles are with you on Ukraine despite a checkered history, see e.g.,Volhynia. We still love and support your work on behalf of Ukraine despite the fact that the question at issue really wasn't well thought out. Nobody's perfect and maybe I came down a little too hard on you.

[@deanejoyce5393]

Don’t be silly

[@benfowler1134]

The fish rots from the head.

[@andrewfarrington2193]

Very good indeed, as usual. It very interesting to hear from somebody who clearly knows his subject how China fits in with Russia and what sort of view it has of itself (and I must say I agree with H3LLS3NT4SS4SS1N just below about totalitarian grudge politics) . Perhaps you could find other speakers to talk about other members of the axis of malignity (Iran, N. Korea) with the emphasis on how they relate to Russia. Many thanks, as always.

[@rob6052]

12:04 Do these subtle differences truly matter?

[@JonathanJollimore-w9v]

Thankfully Xi sees the war in Ukraine as bad for business. I think he's starting to back off the Taiwan thing we will see about that. As long as the calculation for Xi is I'm going to lose more than I'm going to gain out of this he's going to be smart.

[@dinkohrvat344]

The environmental destruction of east Africa, is directly linked to the massive growth of Chinese influence and investment in the region. The ivory trade and trade in endangered species iis out of control Chinese investment anywhere in the world is associated with catastrophic environmental impacts .

[@Grz349]

31:42 when talking about the problems of the Chinese economy how do you account for problems such as the housing bubble and high debt by the companies involved in the sector?

[@rogerstarkey5390]

B.S

[@andrewthomson137]

this is a wonder off any logice I can see. Starlin was a King dictator. She Jingping is doing the same, putin is doing the same.

[@2paulcoyle]

How come you didn't say Trump is just like Xi ?

[@deanejoyce5393]

Because Xi can’t say “ China” like Donald 😂

[@НатальяТерехова-с6х]

Белые, лысые и дряблые мужики, как всегда уверенные в своей непогрешимости и уже давно ничего не понимающие). Мир стремительно меняется, а им кажется, что всё под контролем и они компетентны😂

[@gfbprojects1071]

China does have its own version of "democracy". Crudely out, if you belong to the party, you can vote. It could be argued that America does not have democracy (how is it that they continue to elect people like Trump without a popular majority.). Also, there are democratic parties outside of the Communist Party, but collectively of course they have little influence.

[@bobjohnbowles]

I often hear people say that in China 'There are no elections'. Actually that is not true; I had a very illuminating experience when I spoke with one of my students when I was working in China where he described how he had once taken part in an election. However, the circumstances in which those elections are held would raise westerners' eyebrows. There is only one party, so the entire political system is totally unlike anything to be found in the West. But that does not mean it is undemocratic, only that it does not conform to democracy as we understand it. I am sorry, but I found so much of this interview to be a repetition of hackneyed tropes and stereotypes that are trotted out incessantly in the western mass media. This gives me the very strong impression that Michael Sheridan does not know as much about China as he seems to think he does.

[@gherkinisgreat]

Ah yes "other forms of democracy" that magical argument, have you considered the concept of propaganda before? You might find it illuminating.

[@bobjohnbowles]

@@gherkinisgreat I am well aware of the propaganda on both sides. My comment was inspired by my personal experience of having lived in China. So, What is your opinion based on?

[@gherkinisgreat]

@@bobjohnbowles The complete and utter destruction of the democratic system in Hong Kong? Would other examples help?

[@deanejoyce5393]

Discuss, argue, be passionate, But keep it civil, guys.

[@levonlarson4048]

​@@bobjohnbowlesSheridan talked about the inter-party elections bud

[@buckkw5108]

She certainly is..

[@ON-THE-FIELD]

Inspiring words about democracy from the land of POMs!!!! LOL!

[@SiliconCurtain]

😂