This story of this probably trans Burmese-Chinese warlord and Golden Triangle opium smuggler turned peace broker has always fascinated me.
What a life he led. (He was often described as bisexual, but that was because he had to marry a man earlier in life; at the end of his life he asked to be called uncle by everyone)
“ #China is not buying Africa, it is building #Africa ” is the view from Beijing. How is this landing with local audiences? There have been hints of a cooling down of Sino-African friendship. For this episode, #TheGlobalJigsaw travels to the Kenyan capital Nairobi to get a sense of #Chinese influence on the ground, and understand why #Beijing has chosen it as a hub for its media operation in Africa. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hx9h3z
If you got upset at me for pointing out that more people died of Covid under Biden than Trump, in large part because Biden rolled back common sense restrictions that were in place under Trump...
Then you'll hate me pointing out that Trump introduced a 25% tariff on Chinese EVs, and Biden is upping that to 100% tariff.
non-existent labor protections, & no real labor unions in Chinese factories = cheap workforce.
worst sourcing standards for raw materials = using cheap minerals from regions with #humanrights & #environmental abuses (see recent Lead The Charge rankings)
The worst type of #tourist in #Japan are the westerners who complain about #Chinese tourists (quite often, actually #Taiwanese, #Korean or #SEAsian but they don't know or care to tell the difference) and don't realize that it's actually them who are the most annoying.
I see way more bad or stupid behavior, especially in #Kyoto, from western tourists than Asian tourists.
Well #Trillanes isn't really wrong. #Duterte and his gang of #drugwar criminals are perhaps the most dangerous #fifthcolumn the #Philippines has faced yet since #WW2. Worse than the Japanese #fifthcolumnists in #Davao (which funnily enough is the same territory the Duterte clan has firm control of, like a fiefdom). But instead of working for the Japanese invaders they're working for the #Chinese communists this time.
The main collaborators being officials within #PNP leadership isn't really surprising either, because Duterte pampered the #police so hard (for example promising not to hold them accountable for clear-cut abuses of power in the drug war) during his 6-year rule.
It seems like #Marcos' strengthening of the alliance with the #US has convinced the #AFP not to defect to the Dutertes though. The Philippine #military is rabidly pro-American and Duterte had a hard time trying to balance having a pro-#China policy and appeasing the soldiers. :seija_coffee: