Author and Chinese Cultural Revolution survivor Xi Van Fleet said on Human Events Daily that conditions inside China are deteriorating economically, pushing back on what she described as persistent misconceptions in the West about the country’s strength.
Speaking with Jack Posobiec, Van Fleet said China’s economic troubles are more severe than is commonly reported in Western media. “This is not being reported widely,” Van Fleet said. “China is in shambles.”
She said people she knows in China have described worsening economic conditions, including widespread business closures, job insecurity, and high unemployment among recent college graduates.
“And the young graduates from college have no jobs,” she said. “All they wanted is a job that pays 3,000 yuan a month, which is like $600. And they can’t even get that.”
Van Fleet said complaints that once centered on shrinking bonuses have shifted to fears over outright job losses. “There are so many people losing their jobs,” she said.
She also criticized what she described as a continued reluctance among Western elites to acknowledge what she sees as the reality of China’s situation. “There’s still a lot of elite here. They refuse to see the reality. They still see China as strong,” she said.
Van Fleet referenced comments from University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape, who she said recently argued that China is significantly ahead of the United States in artificial intelligence deployment and civic technology. According to Van Fleet, Pape pointed to China’s rapid use of AI in companies, industries, cities, and communities, including near-instant traffic enforcement.
She rejected that framing, arguing that such systems reflect authoritarian control rather than national advancement. “He had no idea,” she said, referring to Pape. “Not only they get the ticket in real time, and the fine will be withdrawn from their bank account in the next two seconds.” Posobiec responded by saying this level of surveillance demonstrates “the kind of total control that the Chinese Communist Party has on the Chinese people.”
Van Fleet argued that China’s system is heavily dependent on foreign business support, particularly from American firms. “There is absolutely, you can’t expect countries like that to prosper without the help of the American companies,” she said.
She then President Donald Trump’s approach to China. “I think that finally, finally, with Trump, we understand that they are our enemy,” Van Fleet said. “CCP is our enemy. It’s not a competitor. It’s not a partner. It’s an enemy.”
Speaking with Jack Posobiec, Van Fleet said China’s economic troubles are more severe than is commonly reported in Western media. “This is not being reported widely,” Van Fleet said. “China is in shambles.”
She said people she knows in China have described worsening economic conditions, including widespread business closures, job insecurity, and high unemployment among recent college graduates.
“And the young graduates from college have no jobs,” she said. “All they wanted is a job that pays 3,000 yuan a month, which is like $600. And they can’t even get that.”
Van Fleet said complaints that once centered on shrinking bonuses have shifted to fears over outright job losses. “There are so many people losing their jobs,” she said.
She also criticized what she described as a continued reluctance among Western elites to acknowledge what she sees as the reality of China’s situation. “There’s still a lot of elite here. They refuse to see the reality. They still see China as strong,” she said.
Van Fleet referenced comments from University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape, who she said recently argued that China is significantly ahead of the United States in artificial intelligence deployment and civic technology. According to Van Fleet, Pape pointed to China’s rapid use of AI in companies, industries, cities, and communities, including near-instant traffic enforcement.
She rejected that framing, arguing that such systems reflect authoritarian control rather than national advancement. “He had no idea,” she said, referring to Pape. “Not only they get the ticket in real time, and the fine will be withdrawn from their bank account in the next two seconds.” Posobiec responded by saying this level of surveillance demonstrates “the kind of total control that the Chinese Communist Party has on the Chinese people.”
Van Fleet argued that China’s system is heavily dependent on foreign business support, particularly from American firms. “There is absolutely, you can’t expect countries like that to prosper without the help of the American companies,” she said.
She then President Donald Trump’s approach to China. “I think that finally, finally, with Trump, we understand that they are our enemy,” Van Fleet said. “CCP is our enemy. It’s not a competitor. It’s not a partner. It’s an enemy.”
