"Chinese Miracle will end soon" - Environment Minister

[greenman3610]

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,345694,00.html

Pan: Of course I am pleased with the success of China's economy. But at the same time I am worried. We are using too many raw materials to sustain this growth. To produce goods worth $10,000, for example, we need seven times more resources than Japan, nearly six times more than the United States and, perhaps most embarrassing, nearly three times more than India. Things can't, nor should they be allowed to go on like that.

SPIEGEL: Such a viewpoint is not exactly widespread in your country.

Pan: Many factors are coming together here: Our raw materials are scarce, we don't have enough land, and our population is constantly growing. Currently, there are 1.3 billion people living in China, that's twice as many as 50 years ago. In 2020, there will be 1.5 billion people in China. Cities are growing but desert areas are expanding at the same time; habitable and usable land has been halved over the past 50 years.

[Maple]

1. Oh they're gonna run into trouble

no question about it. Everyone does sooner or later.

But one way or another they have to expand, and they will.

The world is just hoping it won't be militarily.

Although given China's population size, and entrepreneurial skills, expanding economically is going to rattle the world as well.

[Ganja Ninja]

2. It will end when the dollar collapses. n/t

[David__77]

3. China needs more technology to cope.

They need infrastructure, more scientific personnel, and especially need energy sources. Nuclear energy, in particular, would help answer China's needs. I think China's low population growth has been very helpful to its development. They will do well for years to come.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. The Chinese have just signed a deal with South Africa....

SA signs nuclear deal with China
<http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/zones/sundaytimesNEW/business/business1110517703.aspx>

QUOTE:

"A technical co-operation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the South African and Chinese developers of the new Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) nuclear power technology was signed this week.

The MOU was signed between PBMR (Pty) Ltd of South Africa, who has been developing the pebble bed technology since 1993, and Beijing's Chinergy Co. Ltd, whose pebble bed concept is based on a 10MW research reactor that was started up in Beijing in December 2000.

The main objective of the agreement is to pursue the potential benefits which could be realised through cooperation for the High Temperature Reactor (HTR) demonstration projects in China and South Africa, as well as for the commercialisation of these reactor systems thereafter.

Both companies intend to design, develop and construct HTR demonstration plants by 2010."

[iconoclastNYC]

4. Thanks for posting this.

It's rare that the corporate media points out whats really going on in China. The corporate people cant get over the 10% GNP growth or whatever it is. As if that's the only thing that matters.

[Boomer]

5. This is truly SCARY

>> Currently, there are 1.3 billion people living in China, that's twice as many as 50 years ago. <<

This despite the fact that China has the most aggressive population control policy on the planet. And even THEY can't keep humans from breeding like there's no tomorrow... which is a quite likely scenario under the circumstances.

[kodi]

6. By the way, just how does one say "Lebensraum" in Chinese?

Tibet?

[Lone Pawn]

7. Now, now, 'Tibet' in Chinese is 'Xizang.'