Comments on: Dofu Engineering http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/ A peculiar hybrid of personal journal, dilettantish punditry, pseudo-philosophy and much more, from an Accidental Expat who has made his way from Hong Kong to Beijing to Taipei and finally back to Beijing for reasons that are still not entirely clear to him... Fri, 24 May 2013 08:54:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: PB http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181872 PB Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:43:32 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181872 How is this news in 2012? It was barely news in 2002. How many times can we be shocked that 1) China overbuilds for the sake of it and 2) that it does so rather badly? China (tm), truly the story that keeps on giving. How is this news in 2012?

It was barely news in 2002. How many times can we be shocked that 1) China overbuilds for the sake of it and 2) that it does so rather badly?

China ™, truly the story that keeps on giving.

]]> By: Formerly_Not_a_Sinophile http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181852 Formerly_Not_a_Sinophile Sun, 02 Sep 2012 18:39:12 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181852 Without a doubt the rushed, shoddy construction and rampant corruption found throughout the Chinese building industry will lead to many more failures. In the US we have a different problem: public unwillingness to deal with crumbling infrastructure not only in bridges, but water systems, too. Check out the following site for an eye-opening discussion about the state of bridges in the US: http://www.saveourbridges.com Without a doubt the rushed, shoddy construction and rampant corruption found throughout the Chinese building industry will lead to many more failures. In the US we have a different problem: public unwillingness to deal with crumbling infrastructure not only in bridges, but water systems, too. Check out the following site for an eye-opening discussion about the state of bridges in the US:

http://www.saveourbridges.com

]]> By: Richard http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181633 Richard Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:26:16 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181633 FOARP, I have no actual evidence that Math was ever a lecturer or professor. Based on your own research, I am highly skeptical. I always thought he was just another fenqing with a wicked sense of humor and modestly good writing skills who used my site to troll and make mischief. I can't say he's dead, only that I think it is very possible based on his sudden disappearance after five years. I don't trust a word the Clock says, but I can't see how he benefits from claiming Math passed away. I just don't know. FOARP, I have no actual evidence that Math was ever a lecturer or professor. Based on your own research, I am highly skeptical. I always thought he was just another fenqing with a wicked sense of humor and modestly good writing skills who used my site to troll and make mischief. I can’t say he’s dead, only that I think it is very possible based on his sudden disappearance after five years. I don’t trust a word the Clock says, but I can’t see how he benefits from claiming Math passed away. I just don’t know.

]]> By: FOARP http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181632 FOARP Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:22:29 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181632 @Richard - Dead? Maybe, maybe not. But a dead professor/lecturer? No, Columbia/NYU would have announced that, and they made no such announcement. Same goes for the nonsense The Clock told us about messages of condolence from the Chinese consolate and elsewhere - no such announcement were made. Clock spun us a line about Math, it would be nice if he would at least tell us the truth. @Richard – Dead? Maybe, maybe not. But a dead professor/lecturer? No, Columbia/NYU would have announced that, and they made no such announcement. Same goes for the nonsense The Clock told us about messages of condolence from the Chinese consolate and elsewhere – no such announcement were made. Clock spun us a line about Math, it would be nice if he would at least tell us the truth.

]]> By: t_co http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181627 t_co Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:00:19 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181627 @RollingWave The catch with SME access to capital is that for China to get to the next stage of service-led, consumption-driven growth, it needs service-oriented SMEs to grow and consolidate within their own industries and across industry verticals. I agree that SMEs in China and Taiwan, so far, have been able to manage without proper access to bank capital, but that's because they're concentrated in a few labor-intensive, export-oriented, manufacturing-focused industries. This leaves them quite vulnerable to international commodity and market shocks as well as forcing a dilemma between economic growth and environmental health. What China really needs, in essence, is the creation of large, service-oriented, private-sector corporations like Wal-Mart, McDonald's, or Microsoft to drive the next leg of wage and productivity gains. That's simply not possible without access to cheap loan capital from the banking sector. @RollingWave

The catch with SME access to capital is that for China to get to the next stage of service-led, consumption-driven growth, it needs service-oriented SMEs to grow and consolidate within their own industries and across industry verticals. I agree that SMEs in China and Taiwan, so far, have been able to manage without proper access to bank capital, but that’s because they’re concentrated in a few labor-intensive, export-oriented, manufacturing-focused industries. This leaves them quite vulnerable to international commodity and market shocks as well as forcing a dilemma between economic growth and environmental health.

What China really needs, in essence, is the creation of large, service-oriented, private-sector corporations like Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, or Microsoft to drive the next leg of wage and productivity gains. That’s simply not possible without access to cheap loan capital from the banking sector.

]]> By: RollingWave http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181616 RollingWave Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:02:53 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181616 The major dilema on SME not getting loans is also tied into the problem of the RMB in general, if banks were allowed to loan at the general world standards we would probably see some pretty extreme shift in interest rate and thus exchange rates quite soon. the scale of which even the PRC's central bank will probably find very difficult to reign in. But still, one must take into the context that SME busniess are still considerablly more successful in China than in most developed countries. part of it is tha the requirement floor is generally much lower anyway. many SME developed from family workshop and stuff. This was largely true in Taiwan as well, a country well known for it's SME. in the periods that most of them rose up loan restrictions were hardly more accomedating than those in the PRC today. and since it has normalized there isn't that much clear signs that it actually helps the SME that much. of course the times are changing through all this and the situation differs. But when my Grandfolks managed to turn a family paper cutting workshop into a full scale (small) factory they did it with no bank loans at all. The major dilema on SME not getting loans is also tied into the problem of the RMB in general, if banks were allowed to loan at the general world standards we would probably see some pretty extreme shift in interest rate and thus exchange rates quite soon. the scale of which even the PRC’s central bank will probably find very difficult to reign in.

But still, one must take into the context that SME busniess are still considerablly more successful in China than in most developed countries. part of it is tha the requirement floor is generally much lower anyway. many SME developed from family workshop and stuff.

This was largely true in Taiwan as well, a country well known for it’s SME. in the periods that most of them rose up loan restrictions were hardly more accomedating than those in the PRC today. and since it has normalized there isn’t that much clear signs that it actually helps the SME that much. of course the times are changing through all this and the situation differs. But when my Grandfolks managed to turn a family paper cutting workshop into a full scale (small) factory they did it with no bank loans at all.

]]> By: narsfweasels http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181609 narsfweasels Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:24:29 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181609 I've seen this MO twice before though - once on the China Daily website and once on Chinasmack, you get this nutcase bombast squealing out jingoistic bullcrap and then one day it just stops. Suddenly, someone appears from the sidelines claiming an intimate knowledge of the person who posted and claiming that they died. It's just another psychological tactic designed to elicit sympathy from otherwise hostile commenters and get a foot in the door in terms of ideology. It's like "China-Bashing" - just another way of forcing us on the defensive. I’ve seen this MO twice before though – once on the China Daily website and once on Chinasmack, you get this nutcase bombast squealing out jingoistic bullcrap and then one day it just stops. Suddenly, someone appears from the sidelines claiming an intimate knowledge of the person who posted and claiming that they died.

It’s just another psychological tactic designed to elicit sympathy from otherwise hostile commenters and get a foot in the door in terms of ideology. It’s like “China-Bashing” – just another way of forcing us on the defensive.

]]> By: Richard http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181604 Richard Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:38:35 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181604 Math is a big mystery. I have no idea if he was a professor or if he went to Columbia, though for years his IP address showed he was using the university's servers. My gut instinct tells me he really is dead, simply because after five years of constant posting it just stopped in its tracks. For the last few months while he was commenting, the comments were simply cut and pastes of earlier comments, and I suspect Math wasn't the one posting them. The Clock said he died of esophageal cancer, but who knows? I would like very much to know who he actually is/was, and what became of him. We will probably never know. Math is a big mystery. I have no idea if he was a professor or if he went to Columbia, though for years his IP address showed he was using the university’s servers. My gut instinct tells me he really is dead, simply because after five years of constant posting it just stopped in its tracks. For the last few months while he was commenting, the comments were simply cut and pastes of earlier comments, and I suspect Math wasn’t the one posting them. The Clock said he died of esophageal cancer, but who knows? I would like very much to know who he actually is/was, and what became of him. We will probably never know.

]]> By: t_co http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181603 t_co Thu, 30 Aug 2012 01:21:34 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181603 @Gil He faked his death? That's low. That's really fucking low. @Gil

He faked his death? That’s low. That’s really fucking low.

]]> By: Mike Goldthorpe http://www.pekingduck.org/2012/08/dofu-engineering/comment-page-1/#comment-181600 Mike Goldthorpe Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:08:13 +0000 http://www.pekingduck.org/?p=10644#comment-181600 Tick Tock, comment #25 I take it by this comment then that you are not really successful in the US...given that you apparently live in a shitty house that even your poor, simple, orange selling relatives scoff at.... Tick Tock, comment #25
I take it by this comment then that you are not really successful in the US…given that you apparently live in a shitty house that even your poor, simple, orange selling relatives scoff at….

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