China: now just a friendly enterprising nation?

Given who NTD Television are, it is going to be about the oppression of the Falun Gong movement or (as the Chinese government would say) cult. 

Among other things it is likely to refer to the "harvesting" of political prisoners, including members of the Falun Gong, for their organs.  This is not news, although the extent of it and whether it is still happening is hotly debated.  China denies it, but does not deny that (as is well known) executed criminals are so "harvested".

This Wikipedia page is written from a pretty pro Falun Gong point of view: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Falun_Gong

This RationalWiki page may also be of interest: rationalwiki.org/wiki/Falun_Gong

I have to say it's pretty brave to start this topic on the day that the forum re-opens after being closed for trolls.  I hope the trolls on both sides of this argument don't find their way here.

Poverty is of course a relative term, average 2016 weekly wage in China £147 in UK £513.

I think that rather depends on what you choose to read. For example, the Economist's recent (ish) lead article on President Xi and how he has metamorphosed from the hoped for champion of both economic and political reform, continuing in the footsteps of Hu Jintao, into a dangerous throwback to the era of all powerful  and all power to the party leader is hardly a ringing endorsement. And all credit to them for holding their hands up and saying that they too were party to that optimistic original assessment. [Of course he hasn't really made that fundamental change: he is what he was: just not what he may have seemed]

I think the election of the "Orange One" in the US also has hardly added to the concept of China getting free ride in say the US press, (except possibly where its an understandable knee-jerk counter to anything emminating from the mouth of the Dumpster).

Of course on the latter point. Its genuinely concerning - to some - that the "leader of the free world" has backtracked from policy directions which are specifically designed to encourage regional entities to cozy up with the West and therefore have less reason to need to align/sweeten relationships with China, and instead take decisions which seem more likely to push them into their arms: e.g. by trashing TPP.

Thanks for the links pikestaff Both pretty damning I would say.

I'm not a facebook user myself cb25  The link works regardless. Money is everything nowadays of course, and Western Governments/businesses will always do business if there is money to be made, and to hell with Falun Gong, Tibetans, and 'human rights' in general.

To hell with Rolls Royce's and all that they represent, I say. Poverty only begins when the rights and worlds of traditional/native peoples are crushed, and people are forced to live within the 'money economy'.

kaya what sort of society should people aim to live in if not a 'money economy' ?

We don't because "money talks".  China is too powerful to be questioned about human rights. We don't hear much about SA or Bahrain too, unfortunately our mainstream media is not very transparent and mainly set to promote our government's foreign policies.  

"Western governments" are always happy to ally with any dictatorial regime or support any terrorist organisation if it suits the US needs.