EPISODE · May 1, 2026 · 56 MIN
China's Economy is 2-3x Bigger Than the US | Silk and Steel
from UK Column News · host UK Column
China's Economy is 2-3x Bigger Than the US | Silk and Steel► Subscribe to the UK Column YouTube channel ► https://bit.ly/ukcolumnofficialIn this episode of The Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined by Han Fei-Zi (aka Blue Bear Monkey, formerly Doggy) – a prolific writer for Asia Times – for a deep dive into the real size of China's economy, the structural flaws in Western economic thinking, and why the US is living in a delusion that could lead to catastrophic decisions.The explosive claims: • China's economy is 2-3 times larger than the US, not 25% larger on PPP or smaller in nominal terms • China has been lowballing its GDP for decades – for WTO negotiations, to maintain "developing nation" status, and out of institutional inertia • The ICP (International Comparison Program) data that sets purchasing power parity is fundamentally flawed – comparing China to Mexico is absurd • The "smile curve" that told the West to offshore manufacturing was measuring the wrong thing – manufacturing is actually the hardest, most valuable partWe break down: • Why electricity consumption, car sales, and steel production tell a truer story than GDP figures • How the US runs on "Dutch disease" – selling assets (treasuries, stocks, real estate) instead of producing goods • Why Scott Bessent and Trump are delusional about trade war leverage • The petrodollar vs. petroyuan shift – and why Iran's demands for yuan payments are a game-changer • How BRI just had a record year (double the previous record) – the "BRI is dead" narrative was wrong • Why Western aid is just "window dressing" – while China builds roads, rails, and power gridsPlus: Why Chinese parents send their kids to US universities (it's not what you think), the truth about Chinese students at Tsinghua, and why Elon Musk said design is a "rounding error" compared to manufacturing.Han Fei-Zi writes for Asia Times and can be found on X as Blue Bear Monkey (formerly Doggy). Follow for provocative, colorful takes on China's economy.► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here: https://bit.ly/UKColumn_Live► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website: https://www.ukcolumn.org/► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism: https://support.ukcolumn.org/► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news: https://bit.ly/ukcolumnofficialFollow #UKColumn on:► X: https://x.com/ukcolumn► Telegram: https://t.me/ukcolumn► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKColumnExtracts► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uk_column_news
What this episode covers
China's Economy is 2-3x Bigger Than the US | Silk and Steel► Subscribe to the UK Column YouTube channel ► https://bit.ly/ukcolumnofficialIn this episode of The Silk and Steel Podcast, host Carl Zha is joined by Han Fei-Zi (aka Blue Bear Monkey, formerly Doggy) – a prolific writer for Asia Times – for a deep dive into the real size of China's economy, the structural flaws in Western economic thinking, and why the US is living in a delusion that could lead to catastrophic decisions.The explosive claims: • China's economy is 2-3 times larger than the US, not 25% larger on PPP or smaller in nominal terms • China has been lowballing its GDP for decades – for WTO negotiations, to maintain "developing nation" status, and out of institutional inertia • The ICP (International Comparison Program) data that sets purchasing power parity is fundamentally flawed – comparing China to Mexico is absurd • The "smile curve" that told the West to offshore manufacturing was measuring the wrong thing – manufacturing is actually the hardest, most valuable partWe break down: • Why electricity consumption, car sales, and steel production tell a truer story than GDP figures • How the US runs on "Dutch disease" – selling assets (treasuries, stocks, real estate) instead of producing goods • Why Scott Bessent and Trump are delusional about trade war leverage • The petrodollar vs. petroyuan shift – and why Iran's demands for yuan payments are a game-changer • How BRI just had a record year (double the previous record) – the "BRI is dead" narrative was wrong • Why Western aid is just "window dressing" – while China builds roads, rails, and power gridsPlus: Why Chinese parents send their kids to US universities (it's not what you think), the truth about Chinese students at Tsinghua, and why Elon Musk said design is a "rounding error" compared to manufacturing.Han Fei-Zi writes for Asia Times and can be found on X as Blue Bear Monkey (formerly Doggy). Follow for provocative, colorful takes on China's economy.► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here: https://bit.ly/UKColumn_Live► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website: https://www.ukcolumn.org/► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism: https://support.ukcolumn.org/► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news: https://bit.ly/ukcolumnofficialFollow #UKColumn on:► X: https://x.com/ukcolumn► Telegram: https://t.me/ukcolumn► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UKColumnExtracts► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uk_column_news
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China's Economy is 2-3x Bigger Than the US | Silk and Steel
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