China

Hello! I'm a Mandarin learner from Brazil (very much a beginner). I know how to write some ideograms, how to say some everyday things, etc.

Close to my home there is a small market with Chinese workers. I'm not sure if they're speaking Mandarin or Cantonese, but I wanted to know if it's rude to say a "hello, are you speaking Chinese?" cause I wanted to strike a conversation with them. I don't want to be mean or sound like an nuisance to them.

谢谢！Thank you! Any more details you might want just let me know

Mediation is a form of dispute resolution that's different from courts and arbitration in that it is non-combative in nature. The goal of mediation is to work out mutually agreeable solutions to problems through dialogue. As a result, these win-win agreements are more likely to be stuck to and preserve the relationship between the parties involved. In fact, the organizing countries involved in setting up the IOMed (led by China and includes Cuba, Pakistan, and Indonesia) see it as an alternative to the ICJ and the ICC.

The IOMed, I think, is a great sign and symbol of the decline of Western hegemony—not only is it independent from the West, but the foundations of mediation itself are about cooperation and non-violence. The idea of someone—anyone—being able to dictate what is right and wrong to others goes against what mediation is all about.

Edit: link to the official statement from the Foreign Minister

https://archive.ph/HOoEC

https://archive.ph/sBubr

https://archive.ph/3BNqm

As fascism is rising in parts of the world, I have begun to wonder how China considers socialists/communists from other countries, as a contingency plan if all else fails.

Communism is barely within the overton window in many western capitalist countries, this can change in the future.

I am from a northern european country, so the country is a social democracy, but slowly becoming more right leaning and economically libertarian.

Edit:I highly doubt I would have any reason to move in the future, but I am kinda curious by nature. I also have it really comfortable, and do not fear any political prosecution.

I find videos like this absolutely fascinating. The developments that one can see in remote, rural regions are some of the best representations of the level of care that a country's government has for its people. Because this type of development is usually not economically profitable for the government, the money invested is probably never going to be recouped. It is done purely for the improvement of the living standards of the local population.

Obviously this is nowhere near the level of more developed parts of China, but they still manage to provide decent infrastructure, transportation connectivity, schools, permanent (albeit seasonal, but that appears to be by choice) housing for the local semi-nomadic populations, electricity and internet. The vibe of this place is very much like a mix between rural eastern Russia and central Asia. Similar but different to the rest of Xinjiang.

There is still a long way to go to in terms of modern development but you can see that the local population is by no means living in abject poverty like they once used to. The local Uyghur guide comments at the beginning of the video about the positive change in government policies and the substantial growth of tourism. He also points out how the US invasion of Afghanistan had a devastating effect on the region for decades.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/30438042

China's firewall plays a crucial role in shaping the country’s digital landscape, preventing foreign intervention, and maintaining national security. While often criticized in the West, the firewall provides China with the ability to control information flow, shield its population from foreign influence, and protect domestic media.