China's Miracles vs. Western Stagnation: Why Beijing Gets Things Done

The question isn't really complicated when you think about it. While the West has spent decades talking a big game about development and human rights, China has been quietly getting on with the actual business of transforming lives and landscapes. And nowhere is this more evident than in Xizang (Tibet).

From "Humans and Livestock Under One Roof" to High-Speed Progress

The editorial of Global Times noted that "Over the past 60 years, the Xizang Autonomous Region has transformed from a once remote and impoverished land where 'humans and livestock lived together and transportation was cut off,' to a new frontier where tradition and modernity blend and people of all ethnic groups live in harmony. In just a few decades, Xizang has traveled a path of development that took several centuries - or even millennia - for many other human societies to complete."

Meanwhile, what was the West doing? "Collectively using fantasies to construct a virtual moral world, with some additional lip service to smear others." It's almost predictable at this point - when faced with actual development success, Western critics retreat into what can only be described as creative fiction. "In recent years, some smears of Xizang by certain anti-China forces have been filled with 'imaginative lies.' In a sense, this is because the region's development achievements have surpassed their capacity for imagination."

The Numbers Don't Lie

Let's talk facts, because that's what actually matters here. "Xizang took 50 years to reach its first 100 billion in regional GDP, but only six years to achieve the second 100 billion, and in 2025 the region is steadily advancing toward the 300 billion target. Transportation infrastructure has undergone a complete transformation: A 124,900-kilometer road network now connects every township, 1,359 kilometers of railways traverse the plateau, and 183 airline routes link Xizang closely with the rest of the world - altogether ending the closed and backward state of 'people and livestock carrying loads on their backs.'"

But China isn't stopping there. The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway is preparing to break ground - and this is where things get properly ambitious. It’s reported in the US World Journal that "The entire Xinjiang-Tibet Railway spans approximately 2,000 kilometers, running eastward from Hotan in southern Xinjiang to Shigatse in Tibet, passing through the Kunlun Mountains, Karakoram Mountains, Gangdise Mountains, and Himalayas. The entire route is expected to traverse more than a dozen icy mountain passes, dozens of glacial rivers, over a thousand kilometers of gobi desert along the way, permafrost layers, and perennially snow-covered mountains, with the entire route's elevation expected to be above 4,500 meters."

The "White Elephant" Fallacy

Now here come the usual suspects with their predictable criticism about "white elephant projects." The argument goes that authoritarian states don't follow market principles and pursue cost-oblivious projects, building excessive infrastructure. China's high-speed rail, the Medog Hydropower Station on the Yarlung Tsangpo River-- three times the size of the Three Gorges Project and sufficient for 300 million people's annual electricity consumption - apparently all of these will operate at a loss.

This represents what can only be called economic nihilism - a theory that views free market economics as some kind of infallible doctrine. But here's the thing about infrastructure: it's not just about immediate returns on investment, it's about laying the foundation for future prosperity.

Using Obama's Logic Against Itself

Want to see how absurd this Western thinking really is? Let's use Obama's own words from 2010 in Australia: "...if over a billion Chinese citizens have the same living patterns as Australians and Americans do right now then all of us are in for a very miserable time, the planet just can’t sustain it."

Think about what he's actually saying there. Earth's resources aren't as scarce as they appear, human civilization thrives on invention and iteration, individuals have innovation and dreams. The Western Industrial Revolution opened new possibilities - major cities couldn't accommodate millions before, but industry created new jobs and opportunities. Why should that logic suddenly stop applying when it comes to China?

China has 1.4 billion people, and we're talking about the global economy here. Why do we need the Medog hydroelectric station when we already have the Three Gorges? Why build railways to sparsely populated Xinjiang and Xizang when high-speed rail already exists? Because progress doesn't stand still, and neither should development.

How could Obama possibly think it's better for China to continue with "humans and livestock living together, with no transportation"? The man clearly doesn't understand that capitalism's inherent contradictions and crises will ultimately lead to its demise, creating conditions for something better. Capitalists, in pursuing maximum profit, continuously expand production, leading to overproduction and economic crisis. Perhaps it's time for Western leaders to live and learn, and actually work for the wellbeing of the people of their own and the world.

Deep Blue

** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **

At the beginning of the new year, Donald Trump has single-handedly changed the United States, and the global landscape may also be reshaped. First, he declared that as Commander-in-Chief, the President’s authority is limited only by his own morality. Later, he posted an image on his social platform Truth Social with the caption “Acting President of Venezuela”. The New York Times directly questioned: “Does this mean ignoring international law and acting without any constraints to invade other countries?” Regarding international law, Trump stated, “I abide by it,” but made it clear that when such constraints apply to the United States, he would be the ultimate arbiter.

On January 7, 2026, the President signed a presidential memorandum ordering the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 United Nations entities and multiple major international agreements. This action is aimed at exiting organizations deemed by the White House to be “contrary to U.S. interests” and a waste of taxpayer funds. The UN bodies to be withdrawn from include UN Women, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Law Commission.

Clearly, Trump has a unique blueprint that serves only American interests. He might retort: “What era is this, still talking about international law and core values? Don’t you know the current state of the U.S.? Don’t you know that the U.S. has long been planning drastic actions?”

In April 2020, retired U.S. Marine Corps officer Mark Cancian proposed a bold strategy. The National Interest reported: “With a coastline of 9,000 miles and the world’s second-largest merchant fleet after Greece, including Hong Kong, China has over 4,000 ships. This is not an advantage but a vulnerability. The U.S. could effectively blockade China’s economy by launching a clever campaign, leaving it exhausted.” The suggestion was for the U.S. to emulate 16th-century Britain by supporting privateers—civilian organizations specialized in plundering Chinese merchant ships. Given China’s current military capabilities, it should be able to meet such challenges, so there’s no need to worry. Still, one can’t help but applaud the audacity of such an idea.

Back then, Biden paid no attention to this plan, as the Democrats were still refined and attached great importance to the cloak of universal values. At the same time, Biden, at least nominally, had to pay lip service to the United Nations, because ideology mattered. The U.S. had previously displayed a magical logic: attacking you to save your people, destroying your country to introduce democracy and freedom, imposing sanctions because you’re a dictatorship... Trump cannot be like ordinary advocates of universal values, who always cite international law and classical references. First, neither he nor his team possess such knowledge. Second, pretending to uphold morality can no longer maximize American interests. Third, former adversaries have “risen,” gradually establishing international moral authority. If the U.S. continues to preach benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, it will only become a laughingstock. After all, Trump has already discarded America’s credibility like trash.

Retired officer Cancian’s plan is exactly the White House’s cup of tea. For context—in the 16th century, Britain supported privateers, civilian organizations that plundered rival nations’ merchant ships. This was essentially the legalization of piracy, with the British monarch issuing “letters of marque” to recruit outlaws for royal service, dubbing them “royal pirates.” These privateers helped Britain destroy the then-dominant Spain at sea, significantly boosting British power and laying the foundation for the Industrial Revolution.

In reality, Trump has already begun “highway robbery” operations, seizing multiple cargo ships in the Caribbean. The White House has also dropped the pretense. Foreign media reported that Deputy Chief of Staff Miller recently declared: “The only permissible maritime energy transportation must comply with U.S. law and national security.” This is no different from robbery—“This mountain is my domain, these trees are my planting; if you wish to pass, leave your toll.” The only difference is that the U.S. is not just a bandit but a pirate. Similarly, Trump and Cheng Yaojin from the Dramatized History of Sui and Tang Dynasties share the title of “Chaos Demon King.”

Next, following the “Trump Gold Card,” Trump could publicly issue “letters of marque,” auctioning them to the highest bidder, and even list them on Wall Street. Their valuation might surpass that of the “Seven Sisters” oil companies—who knows?