The criteria for the GDP measure changed in 2009 which put a heavier weight on R&D capitalization. This makes it an unfair comparison since China economy is mostly manufacturing-based. The fact that their growth rate is so high despite this is very notable.

Drug trade: Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium, which can be refined to make heroin.

The illicit drug trade isn’t just heroin, it’s moving opioids into India so they can be resold to the pharmaceutical industry for our legal-opioid epidemic.

China doesn’t need to produce the fast chips because their comparative advantage is in quantity manufacturing.

Are you okay?

Lame reply, do better next time. I worked hard on that.

Tacit collusion is literally everywhere and completely normalized. A coworker was describing a revenue-sharing agreement but actually described collusion to set prices.