Comments on: China’s Looming Demographic Problem Moves Steadily Up Over The Radar

By: Invisalign Langley

Invisalign Langley — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:09:03 +0000

Invisalign Langley…

[...]China’s Looming Demographic Problem Moves Steadily Up Over The Radar | afoe | A Fistful of Euros | European Opinion[...]…

By: Thomas JÃ¸rgensen

Thomas JÃ¸rgensen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:56:02 +0000

Erik is correct: labour shortage, what labour shortage? China has a loong way to go before their agriculture is fully mechanized, so more available jobs in the cities just empties out the villages faster, and good riddance to village life, too – as for the rest of the world.. the rising dependancy ratio is as much a “side effect” of increasing lifespans as it is of declining fertility, and if it starts to result in honest-to-goddess labour shortages of the “unemployment just hit 0.5%, and falling” kind we saw in the post wwII era, immigration restrictions can be lifted, and retirement ages can be raised.

By: rjs

rjs — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:55:01 +0000

obviously, my comment was an attempt at wry humor; to the point, however, even without a one child policy, a similar demographic problem is also facing japan, russia, and most Euro countries, what will your solution be?
in the US, our demographics have been supplemented with substantial immigration…

By: Pavel from Prague

Pavel from Prague — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:18:02 +0000

rjs:
They will spend all their reserves to bailout the biggest credit bubble in the world, which is now being inflated. On the surface it looks like a enviable GDP growth.

As to China’s demographic challenge, it’s not difficult to imagine mandatory euthanasia for old people being introduced in a similar fashion as “one child policy”.

In a civilisation where human life is valued at next to nothing, everything is possible. Which is by the way the reason why China would never really rule the world. Few people would like China as the role model for their own country.

By: rjs

rjs — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:54:48 +0000

with over two trillion in foreign reserves, they could easily afford to hire a few million unemployed americans to empty their bedpans..

By: Ombrageux

Ombrageux — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:51:47 +0000

Old people: unrevolutionary, wealth-sucking and politically active! We can expect such a thing will keep China’s fledgling military-industrial complex in check. This sort of development is what will ensure peace through the world from Vancouver through Berlin to Vladivostok.

Those between Seattle and Key West however have another generation aimless wars of peace on some unsuspecting corner of world, a few countries more will find themselves “nation-built” into the dust.

By: Eric E

Eric E — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:14:27 +0000

There is one thing to keep in mind : most of the chinese workforce is still in the countryside so the future “labor shortages” may well be vastly overestimated….