All of my life, the U.S. has been the engine of growth for the world. That is no longer the case, as China has clearly taken our place. While that may be sad, I don’t think it is anything to be feared. During my travels over the last two weeks or so, I’ve focused on … Continue reading Final Thoughts on China

The Bush Administration started applying pressure on China years ago, to allow their currency to increase in value. This makes their exports more expensive to foreigners who buy them, like the U.S. As a result, foreigners buy less, which means China produces less, and fewer Chinese workers are needed. Layoffs increase and so does social … Continue reading Save Your Breath, America!

The Chinese have a progressive tax on income, which means your tax rate increases as your income increases, similar to ours. However, they have no estate tax, at least not yet. As income inequality increases, so does social instability, which is the greatest fear of the Chinese government and can hardly be emphasized enough. To … Continue reading What Chinese and Americans Have In Common . . . Taxes

Last week, I marveled that China was making the same mistake as the U.S. by letting its Social Security system get as out of control as ours. Digging into this has not been easy, but I have learned that: 1. It started in 1978, when China was still a “socialist-paradise”. 2. By 2030, it is … Continue reading Peeling the Onion….

Back in 1986, I was a Vice President with Citibank out of New York, and based in Dallas. With no data to go on, except a general sense of unease about the possibility of serious over-building, I rented a large van for a full day and invited all the best bankers I could to spend … Continue reading Deja Vu…..Not This Time

I was born immediately after World War II. It was a time when America became the most powerful nation on the planet. We had triumphed over evil during the War and “deserved” to be #1 among nations. We were truly “exceptional”. As a young man (and especially when I wore my Army uniform), I walked … Continue reading Strutting With the Best of Them…….

Certainly, one of the most apparent changes in China from my last visit in 1987 is the western style of clothing, which has been completely adopted by the Chinese. It is not unlike a typical walk thru Chinatown in San Francisco. Who said advertising doesn’t work? Yet, this is one of those discussions where business … Continue reading The Triumph of Madison Avenue

This nation boasts the greatest number of newspapers, with over 400. It is also accused of having jailed the most jounalists, number unknown. Still, a good read of one day’s edition offer insights into Chinese thinking see www.chinadaily.com.cn: 1. Pressure from the U.S. to allow the Chinese currency (Yuan) to appreciate is not motivated by … Continue reading A Day in the Life of ….China

Mao said that all great men have climbed The Great Wall. What he meant to say was “All great financial advisors have . . . “

As a child of the Cold War, I just assumed I would die in a nuclear war. When I first heard the song by rocker Sting, called “Do the Russians Love Their Children Too?”, I was caught a little off-balance by the question. Yesterday, I watched an older lady stop a young mother to admire … Continue reading A Rocker Got it Right

Last month, China passed Japan to become the world’s second largest economy. At current rates, it should bypass the U.S. in 2020, which is a mere ten years away. It may do so, but it is interesting that they are not learning from our mistakes. Already, they are allowing retirement for women at age 50 … Continue reading We’re #1, We’re #1 . . . Today!

The flight attendants for Air China are young and pretty, obviously a proven branding campaign for generations. However, just like all flight attendants everywhere, they were over-worked, harassed, and annoyed. Rolling their eyes seemed to be a primary job requirement. Yet, they seem to have more authority than U.S. travelers normally see. When they tell … Continue reading Paging Gloria Steinam