This is the Yaxi Expressway in southwest China's Sichuan province. It features some of the highest and longest bridges in the world.

Here's a little article about it: https://themindcircle.com/yaxi-expressway-traversing-the-clouds/

Side note: am i the only one who finds this crazy scary to look at? I'm sure it's awesome driving on it, but looking at it from afar it looks wild.

I'm not the biggest fan of BE, i think his online persona can be grating at times, and his takes on China are very half-baked and borderline ignorant, but on this issue he is 100% right. Everyone needs to hear this. If you invite liberal Zionists and Zionist apologist socdem politicians on your stream and don't call them out as the supporters and enablers of genocide that they are, you don't get to call yourself "pro-Palestinian".

President Xi Jinping on Wednesday published a signed article titled "Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future" in the Russian Gazette newspaper ahead of his arrival in Russia for a state visit and attendance at the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.

The following is the full text of the article:

Learning from History to Build Together a Brighter Future

H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, and the World Anti-Fascist War. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN). In this season when "apple and pear trees are blossoming," I will soon pay a state visit to Russia and attend the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, joining the heroic Russian people in honoring the history and the fallen heroes.

Ten years ago around this time, I came to Russia to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory. During that visit, I made a special arrangement to meet with 18 representatives of Russian veterans who endured the blood and fire of battlefields during the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War and the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Their unyielding resolve and indomitable bearing left an indelible impression on me. In the past few years, General M. Gareyev, Major General T. Shchudlo and other veterans passed away. I pay my deepest tribute to them and to all veterans-from generals to the rank and file-for their extraordinary service and heroic feats in securing the victory over fascists around the world. We will never forget them. Heroes never perish; their noble spirit lives forever.

During the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese and Russian peoples fought shoulder to shoulder and supported each other. In the darkest hours of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Volunteer Group, which was part of the Soviet Air Force, came to Nanjing, Wuhan and Chongqing to fight alongside the Chinese people, bravely engaging Japanese invaders in aerial combat-many sacrificing their precious lives. At the critical juncture of the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, Yan Baohang, a legendary intelligence agent of the Communist Party of China (CPC) who was hailed as the "Richard Sorge of the East," provided the Soviet Union with primary-source intelligence. In the crucible of the war-torn years, the Soviet Union provided China with large quantities of weapons and equipment. China, for its part, shipped much-needed strategic supplies to the Soviet Union. The two countries jointly established a supply line spanning the treacherous Gobi Desert. It was an international lifeline, vital for our mutual support in fighting fascists. The strong camaraderie between our two nations, forged in blood and sacrifice, surges onward unceasingly, mighty as the Yellow River and the Volga. It is an eternal wellspring nourishing our everlasting friendship.

Eighty years ago, the forces of justice around the world, including China and the Soviet Union, united in courageous battles against their common foes and defeated the overbearing fascist powers. Eighty years later today, however, unilateralism, hegemonism, bullying, and coercive practices are severely undermining our world. Again humankind has come to a crossroads of unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, win-win cooperation or zero-sum games. In War and Peace, the great writer Leo Tolstoy observed, "History is the life of nations and of humanity." Indeed, historical memory and truth will not fade with the passage of time. They serve as inspirations that mirror the present and illuminate the future. We must learn from history, especially the hard lessons of the Second World War. We must draw wisdom and strength from the great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, and resolutely resist all forms of hegemonism and power politics. We must work together to build a brighter future for humanity.

-- We must uphold a correct historical perspective on WWII. China and the Soviet Union were the principal theaters of that war in Asia and Europe respectively. The two countries served as the mainstay of resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making pivotal contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression began the earliest and lasted the longest. United as one under the banner of the Chinese united front against Japanese aggression, which was advocated and established by the CPC, the Chinese people launched a relentless struggle against and defeated the brutal Japanese militarists. With immense sacrifice, they carved out an immortal epic of heroic resistance and ultimate victory against Japanese aggression. In the European theater, the Soviet Red Army advanced like an iron tide with unwavering fortitude and valor, crushed Nazi Germany's ambitions and liberated millions from its brutal occupation, writing an epic of victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.

History teaches us that light will always overcome darkness, and that justice will ultimately prevail over evil. The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East condemned the convicted war criminals to perpetual infamy. The justice and integrity of the two landmark trials, their historic significance, and their contemporary relevance stand beyond challenge. Any attempt to distort the historical truth of WWII, deny its victorious outcome, or defame the historic contribution of China and the Soviet Union is doomed to fail. Neither of our two nations will tolerate any act to reverse the course of history-nor will the people of the whole world.

-- We must resolutely uphold the postwar international order. The most significant decision by the international community around the end of WWII was to establish the UN. China and the Soviet Union were among the first to sign the UN Charter. Our permanent membership in the UN Security Council is a product of history, earned through blood and sacrifice. The more turbulent and complex the international situation becomes, the more we must uphold and defend the authority of the UN, firmly uphold the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and steadily promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan. Taiwan's restoration to China is a victorious outcome of WWII and an integral part of the postwar international order. A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, have all affirmed China's sovereignty over Taiwan. The historical and legal fact therein brooks no challenge. And the authority of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 brooks no challenge. No matter how the situation on the Taiwan island evolves or what troubles external forces may make, the historical trend toward China's ultimate and inevitable reunification is unstoppable.

China and Russia have all along firmly supported each other on issues bearing on our respective core interests or major concerns. Russia has reiterated on many occasions that it strictly adheres to the one-China principle, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, it opposes any form of "Taiwan independence," and it firmly supports all measures of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to achieve national reunification. China highly commends Russia's consistent position.

-- We must firmly defend international fairness and justice. Now, the global deficits in peace, development, security and governance continue to widen unabated. To address these deficits, I have proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind and put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative as a way forward to steer the reform of the global governance system toward greater fairness and justice.

The world needs justice, not hegemonism. History and reality have proven that to meet global challenges, it is important to uphold the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. It is also important to choose dialogue over confrontation, build partnerships over alliances, and pursue win-win cooperation over zero-sum games. It is equally important to practice true multilateralism, accommodate the legitimate concerns of all parties, and safeguard international norms and order. We firmly believe that people around the world will choose to stand on the right side of history and the side of fairness and justice.

China and Russia are both major countries with significant influence in the world. The two nations are constructive forces for maintaining global strategic stability and for improving global governance. Our bilateral relationship is founded upon a clear historical logic, sustained by strong internal drive, and rooted in profound cultural heritage. Our relationship is neither directed against nor swayed by any third party. Together we must foil all schemes to disrupt or undermine our bonds of amity and trust, and we must not be baffled by transient matters or unsettled by formidable challenges. We must leverage the certainty and resilience of our partnership of strategic coordination to jointly accelerate the shift toward a multipolar world and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China and Russia are both great nations with splendid civilizations. The Chinese and Russian peoples are both great peoples defined by heroic legacies. Eighty years ago, our peoples won the anti-fascist war through heroic struggles. Eight decades later today, we must take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard our sovereignty, security, and development interests. We should be guardians of historical memory, partners in national development and rejuvenation, and champions of global fairness and justice, and work together to forge a brighter future for humanity.

Action, meet Consequences

People probably don't realize the stakes at play here and how thankful they should be for China's unyielding position since "liberation day". The future of the global order literally rests on it.

Basically they keep repeating almost word-for-word the same thing for 3 weeks:

"Tariff and trade wars have no winners... China doesn't look for a war but neither are we afraid of it... If the U.S. wants to talk, it should stop threatening and blackmailing [us] and seek dialogue based on equality, respect and mutual benefit. To keep asking for a deal while exerting extreme pressure is not the right way to deal with China and simply will not work."

Translation: remove the tariffs, approach us as equals, or there will be no deal. Period.

There's a good case to be made that it is this very consistency in China's stance that's: a) emboldening other nations to resist American pressure—not a single country has capitulated to US demands since China took its stand b) forcing the Trump administration to negotiate against itself, exposing the fundamental weakness of bullying as diplomatic strategy

This moment echoes pivotal historical turning points where great power behavior set precedents for decades—like Suez in 1956 or the Cuban Missile Crisis—only with potentially more far-reaching consequences.

Like those watershed events, China's resistance now sets a precedent that will probably shape international relations for years to come.

If China were to yield, make no mistake about what would follow:

The geopolitical landscape would transform overnight—smaller nations and probably even regional blocs like the EU would read the writing on the wall and fall in line, knowing resistance would be futile against a vindicated America if even China had to yield.

We'd witness American hubris on steroids, with Trump and future administrations validated in their belief that unilateral bullying is effective foreign policy: it would become their blueprint in an even worse way than it already is.

Most disturbing would be the effective end of multipolarity—for what is a 'pole' if it can simply be intimidated into compliance? In fact, it would undermine the very concept of sovereignty itself.

While China certainly pursues its own interests, its steadfast position makes it objectively the main bulwark against a pure "might makes right" world.

And as such what's at play here goes far [beyond] whether China or America "wins" this particular standoff, but whether concepts like sovereignty and multilateralism, can survive.

Paradoxically we're in a place where if there's such thing as a "rules-based international order", China is the last meaningful defender of its core tenets, and the primary check against a dystopian slide toward predatory unilateralism, where sovereignty would become merely ceremonial—a polite fiction maintained at the pleasure of Washington.

Future historians may mark this moment as when the international system either reaffirmed its commitment to sovereign equality or surrendered to the law of the jungle—with China, somewhat unexpectedly, standing as civilization's last line of defense.

"Britain’s obsession with wresting Sevastopol from Moscow’s grasp dates back to the Crimean War of 1853-1856, but the leaked documents clearly show the city’s seizure is still considered a vital, and achievable, objective from London’s perspective."

[...]

"Project Alchemy declared that the effort “could be the tip of the spear to a larger offensive with an aim of retaking Crimea… something deemed impossible by many including [the] Kremlin, that may be their undoing.”

Previous reports by The Grayzone on Project Alchemy’s clandestine activities have revealed how much of the cell’s plotting was informed by deluded conceptions of perceived historic British military glories, such as the World War II-era Special Operations Executive, a forebearer of CIA/MI6-run Operation Gladio."

The British need professional psychological help. There is something seriously wrong with this country.

China Now is the most watched current affairs show in PRC.

Zhang Wei Wei is a well-known public intellectual. This is a good summary of how the Chinese side sees the tariff war and economic/technology/geopolitical situation.

[AI translation]

When Trump was reelected last year, foreign media kept asking us Chinese how we viewed Trump. I said, "Most Chinese probably think Trump is slightly better than Biden. We find Biden too hypocritical, while Trump is relatively more straightforward. My personal assessment of Trump has been consistent: he has a fairly accurate read on many of America's problems, but the prescriptions he offers are often wrong, disastrously wrong.

For example, he recognizes that the US has long overextended its national strength and is becoming a failing state. He acknowledges that the world has become multipolar and that the US lacks the capacity to manage the entire globe. He sees that Ukraine stands no chance of winning and decides to stop wasting American money, seeking instead a compromise with Russia. He dismantled more or less the USAID, the global headquarters of color revolutions, which has brought immense suffering to many nations and also caused significant losses to the US itself.

However, as the leader of a major power, Trump's vision, character, experience, and knowledge are all vastly inadequate to fulfill his 'Make America Great Again' agenda. Trump's most defining trait is his unpredictability. After all, he co-authored 'The Art of the Deal,' and his favorite business tactic is to keep shifting positions, catch opponents off guard, apply maximum pressure, and then strike a deal on the most favorable terms for him.

Thus, he announced increasingly higher tariffs on all Chinese goods, convinced that China needed him and expecting a phone call from China's leadership. But what he got instead was not a call from Beijing but progressively stronger countermeasures, including equivalent tariffs up to 125% on all US imports, a long list of American entities added to export control lists, and strict restrictions on the export of rare earth materials and related goods.

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman commented, "Trump sends a message to the world and to the Chinese. If it were a book, it would be called 'The Art of the Squeal.' In reality, his reckless tariff policies triggered massive sell-offs of US Treasury bonds, which could very well collapse the American financial system. Many also suspect that Trump's flip-flopping is a way to manipulate the stock market, raising tariffs then suspending them, shorting and then buying back, turning Wall Street into a casino for his family. After all, he's not just a real estate tycoon but also a former casino owner. This speaks volumes about America's institutionalized corruption.

Trump's constant policy reversals have left him with no credibility. American businesses and consumers are utterly confused, and an economic recession coupled with higher inflation seems now inevitable. Every Chinese understands the wisdom of a saying from Chinese philosopher Laozi over 2,000 years ago: 'Governing a great nation is like cooking a delicate dish. A prudent and consistent approach is the key.' But Trump doesn't get it. Flip-flopping has always been a cardinal sin in Chinese statecraft culture.

Trump's approach not only fails to establish any authority but also destroys trust. Under Trump's leadership, the US no longer behaves like a decent major power. He has revived America's imperialist tradition, first targeting submissive allies like Canada and Denmark, then extorting Ukraine for $500 billion in mineral rights. This shows not only that America's allies are easy prey for his bullying but also that the US has lost all moral authority globally, leaving it increasingly isolated.

Nobel Prizewinning economist Joseph Stiglitz recently wrote in Handelsblatt that America's word is now worthless on the world stage. He noted that the US accounts for less than 20% of the global economy, while the remaining 80%, represented by most other nations, has united against the US.

When the US-China trade war began in 2018, I gave a speech at Harvard, saying that China's leadership is looking ahead to 2050, while Trump's vision is stuck in 1950. Now, with his latest tariff offensive, he seems determined to drag the US back to 19th-century mercantilism. His tariff calculations, his blind faith in protectionism, and his belief that high tariffs can bring manufacturing back to America reveal his ignorance and myopia.

Not long ago, the New York Times interviewed me. I told them that the tariff war started by the US would ultimately backfire. Our research shows that over 90% of the increased tariffs were actually shouldered by American businesses and consumers. The outcome this time will be no different.

In another interview with Russian news agency TASS, I told them that when Trump threatened last year to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 60%, I said then, 'Please tell President Trump he can raise them to 600%. It wouldn't make a difference.' Our research shows that America's economic dependence on China far exceeds China's reliance on the US. Most Chinese exports to America are essential goods for which the US has no easy substitutes.

As for Trump's wish to bring companies like Apple and Microsoft back to the US, their supply chains are deeply embedded in China. Within a 150 km radius, they can source every component they need. This ecosystem took China decades to build. The US has been de-industrializing for 30 to 40 years. How could they possibly replicate us?

Recently, publications like the New York Times and The Times have compared Trump to Gorbachev. Just as Gorbachev's radical shock therapy accelerated the Soviet Union's collapse, Trump's reckless policies may well push America down the same path. Conservative writer Jonathan V. Last penned an article titled 'The Age of America Is Over,' arguing that the US empire is committing suicide. Trump's tariff war is just the latest move that wrecked the US economy, dealt a fatal blow to NATO, and dismantled the American world order.

In just 71 days, the Soviet Union collapsed in part due to fiscal ruin. The US is now in a similar predicament, with $37 trillion in debt and annual interest payments exceeding $1 trillion. America is already insolvent, surviving only on the residual credibility of its financial myth, which makes many people believe that US bills are risk-free assets. But Trump's tariff chaos has exposed the fragility of the US financial system, including its treasuries, triggering a rare simultaneous crash in stocks, bonds, and the dollar. The massive selloff of US treasuries is the core issue. America's ability to borrow new debt to pay off old debt is dwindling, and a fiscal crisis looms.

The late Norwegian scholar Johan Galtung, who accurately predicted the Soviet collapse, forecast in 1999 that the American empire would collapse around 2020. He introduced the concept of 'magic,' the idea that empires rule through an illusion of superiority, whether it's the myth of the shining city upon a hill, the sanctity of American institutions, or the perceived invincibility of the dollar and treasury bonds. Once this magic fades, the empire falls.

On April 5th, The Economist published a cover story titled 'How America Could End Up Making China Great Again.' It argued that while Trump builds walls, China is reshaping global trade relations with its development model gaining widespread acceptance among developing nations. I said back in 2018 that the US would lose its tech war against China, and we should remember to award President Trump a special medal for exceptional contributions to China's success.

The irony is that Trump never intended to help China. He dreams of containing China, but his reckless actions have only accelerated China's rise. The reason is simple: China's path represents, as a Chinese saying goes, the righteous way of the world. The righteous will have many supporters, while the unrighteous will have few. The Chinese model is gaining traction, while America's is faltering.

I believe this tariff war forced upon China by the US, along with China's resolute, precise, and powerful counterstrikes, will show the world which nation is truly the largest and strongest economy. The answer is China, not the US. The world has changed completely. Just compare Trump's crude, chaotic tariffs with China's steady, precise, sharp, and innovative countermeasures.

Let me briefly explain what innovative means here. We are using a 21st-century smart economy-based, full-industry-chain approach to dismantle America's 19th-century tariff barriers, in other words, a blow from a higher dimension. We are also advancing new technological standards to keep global trade rules in line with changing times.

By the way, Chinese people refer to Trump by nicknames like 'Chuan Pu' or 'Trump the Face-Changing King,' 'Dong Wang,' or 'Trump the Nation Builder.' These nicknames are not just humorous but also reflect the discernment, sophistication, and wit of ordinary people from a civilizational state like China. Doesn't that terrify our rivals?