Independent thinking for complex markets and current events
2026 just started and China already dropped a financial bomb 💣 Beijing quietly EXTENDED a policy letting banks roll over 3.8 TRILLION yuan of bad personal loans. Translation: the debts are so bad they can’t be cleaned up. Banks are dumping credit-card defaults at 10–20¢ on the dollar, hiding losses, and repackaging the trash into …
via notayesmanseconomics It is time to look East again as there is a lot of economic news from China. We can start with something that has become awfully familiar as we have observed the bursting of the property market bubble. China Vanke Co. is preparing a debt restructuring plan at the request of authorities, people …
China is leading a historic shift in the global auto industry: Global sales of Chinese vehicles are estimated to have surged +17% YoY in 2025, to a record ~27 million units byu/RobertBartus inEconomyCharts Japan — ~$60–65B Germany — ~$40–45B United States — ~$25–30B China — ~$17–20B South Korea — ~$14–16B France — ~$9–11B Italy — …
“China just weaponized silver. And they did it while Americans were busy arguing about whether bitcoin is real money.” Silver now finds itself at the center of a geopolitical wrestling match over critical elements. In what is clearly an effort to control the market, China recently announced export controls on silver. This could exacerbate global …
📢 Breaking news: Another "#China shock" pic.twitter.com/5uMWrStZgn — Chinese Embassy in US (@ChineseEmbinUS) January 7, 2026 h/t dr0id
CHINA TELLS BANKS: OPEN THE BOOKS ON VENEZUELA Beijing just quietly told its biggest banks to open their books and reveal how much exposure they have to Venezuela, signaling that even China is getting nervous about Trump’s foreign policy wild card. Apparently, Chinese regulators are asking lenders to disclose their financial ties to Maduro’s regime, …
For China, the share of US imports and new housing starts are back to where they were at the start of the century byu/RobertBartus inEconomyCharts
Did China just find a way to stop regime change without firing a shot? China just declared war. Not with missiles. With lawyers. “Chinese interest in Venezuela will be protected by law.” Read that again. Beijing didn’t threaten military action. They announced something far more dangerous to American power: They’re going to make regime change …
If they strike Taiwan .. this will be the impact to the stock markethttps://t.co/jhU8WFDnH5 — Common Sense Investor (CSI) (@commonsenseplay) January 5, 2026
MAJOR SILVER ALERT: JP Morgan and TD Securities are warning of a massive $5+ billion silver sell-off during the Bloomberg Commodity Index rebalancing period from January 8-14, 2026. This forced liquidation will dump approximately 13% of COMEX open interest in just two weeks. But here’s the twist: While Western index funds are forced to sell, …
by Michael The dramatic events that just occurred in Venezuela have shocked the entire world. But almost everyone is missing the bigger picture. A very tense geopolitical game of chess is playing out right in front of our eyes, and the stakes are incredibly high. The Trump administration would love to push the Chinese and the …
China’s factories run on Venezuelan barrels and suddenly the U.S. decides who gets what. The world’s top manufacturing engine is grinding gears because someone thought oil was a political toy. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. special forces in Caracas early on January 3 following airstrikes and explosions around the capital, according to …
(Bloomberg) — China said it’s “deeply shocked” by the US’s military strikes on Venezuela and its capture of President Nicolas Maduro. China “strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement late Saturday. “Such hegemonic acts of the US …
Funny how democracy always lives on top of oil. The reason why Venezuela is under attack U.S. Southern Command chief General Laura Richardson just said the truth out loud: the U.S. focus in Latin America isn’t “democracy” — it’s controlling oil, lithium, gold, and rare earth minerals. Venezuela, with the largest oil reserves and key …
They keep telling people everything is fine while quietly shoving emergency cash into the system like it is a house fire at 3 a.m. When banks start dumping mortgage paper just to get overnight money, that is not confidence, that is panic dressed up as plumbing. The scary part is not the headlines you see, …
The US blockaded Venezuela, ostensibly, to enforce oil sanctions. Today, China blockaded Taiwan, ostensibly, as part of military drills. The Centuries and the Skipper ships seized by the US off the coast of Venezuela were carrying oil destined for Asia, possibly China, or maybe Taiwan. Given the fact that nations around the world are cancelling …
Another cross-border flashpoint this year.How many have we had already? More than we’re comfortable admitting. Off the top of the list: • Russia–Ukraine• Israel–Gaza–Lebanon–Syria–Red Sea spillover• Iran–Israel• Iran–Pakistan• Iran–Iraq• Pakistan–Afghanistan•… — Monica Jasuja (@jasuja) December 30, 2025 China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off …
China is building hundreds of missile silos so the US can’t tell which ones actually have nukes. That’s the whole point. It forces America to assume the worst every time. China is readying intercontinental missiles The US Department of War identified fields of missile silos in three remote areas in northern and western China: Hami …
by Michael I think that nearly the entire population of the world would like to see peace in 2026, but global events just continue to drag us toward war. I honestly do not understand why more people are not upset about this. The drumbeats of war seem to get louder with each passing day, and we are …
🔥🔥**SPOT SILVER $90.52/oz USD!!**🔥🔥 🚨Australia's ABC Bullion DITCHES COMEX, PEGS SILVER SPOT PRICE TO SHANGHAI AT $90.52/oz!! 🚨 🔥THE END OF PAPER SILVER MANIPULATION HAS ARRIVED!! ⚡️SELLERS OF PHYSICAL SILVER ARE REFUSING TO SELL SILVER AT COMEX PAPER SILVER FUTURES… pic.twitter.com/8dY5cL2822 — SilverTrade (@silvertrade) December 28, 2025 Silver is one the most important industrial metals. …
Hundreds of Christians in China will likely spend Christmas in jail this year, according to a recent report. Starting on Dec. 13, the Chinese Communist Party mobilized “more than a thousand police officers, SWAT units, anti-riot forces, and firefighters” in the Zhejiang Province’s Yayang Town in Wenzhou City, raiding churches and conducting mass arrests of …
Opinion: China is quietly destroying the dollar — and that’ll cost you. Fight back with these money moves. When the U.S. dollar loses its monopoly on pricing the world’s critical resources, Americans’ purchasing power weakens China controls the rare earths. China controls the cobalt. China, through its Belt and Road spending spree, now controls most …
by Michael Guess which nation has the most proven oil reserves? It isn’t Saudi Arabia, although the Saudis rank a close second. It isn’t Iran or Iraq either. In fact, the country with the largest proven oil reserves isn’t even in the Middle East. Canada has a lot of oil, and so does Russia, but …
via Zorro Excellent question. Thailand’s relationship with China is deep, multifaceted, and of critical importance, spanning economics, military, tourism, and infrastructure. It is one of the most significant bilateral relationships in Southeast Asia. Here’s a breakdown of the key areas of dependence and interconnection: 1. Economic & Trade Interdependence (The Core) · Trade: China is …
Weak demand, falling property investment, and slumping consumption. China’s retail sales and industrial output missed forecasts in November, highlighting weak domestic demand. Fixed-asset and property investment slumped further, marking the sharpest downturn since 2020. Policymakers pledged support, but analysts remain cautious as consumption and jobs stay under pressure. https://invezz.com/news/2025/12/15/chinas-economic-slowdown-deepens-in-november-as-weak-demand-weigh-on-growth/ h/t -Sliced-
via notayesmanseconomics This morning has brought an update for my main economic theme for China. New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average across 70 cities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The decline eased slightly from a 0.5 per cent fall in October, but …
The world is about to pump massive liquidity into the system: – The US pauses QT, runs record deficits, and is considering $2,000 stimulus checks – China is running the largest deficit in its history – Japan is preparing a $110 billion stimulus package – The EU is planning to spend ~$1 trillion on military …
by Michael The seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker was an extraordinarily shocking move by the Trump administration. Will it be followed by the seizure of more oil tankers? This is a question that the press really needs to be asking right now. If a U.S. blockade stops the flow of oil coming out of …
by Michael We have reached one of the most critical turning points in modern history, but most people don’t seem to understand this. Without a doubt, 2025 has been a year of war. There has been war in Ukraine, war in Iran, war in Gaza, and lots of other regional conflicts as well. But as …
by Michael I don’t want China to be the world’s most dominant economic superpower. I am an American, and so I want the United States to be the world’s most dominant economic superpower. Unfortunately, the facts that I am about to share with you in this article cannot be denied. We consume far more than we …