Posts Tagged ‘china’
Triffin’s Dilemma: The Privilege and The Curse of the Dollar As World Currency
Posted on: March 28, 2025
Following our series about academic research, today I will write about Triffin’s Dilemma, a theory proposed by Dutch economist Robert Triffin in the 1960s.
The theory postulates that the country that owns the world’s reserve currency will inevitably face a persistent trade deficit that will imperil the confidence in that currency.
The theory was originally tied to the Bretton Woods Accord after World War II, where the US dollar was pegged to gold, and the rest of the world’s were pegged to the dollar. In 1971, President Nixon announced the de-pegging of the dollar from gold, effectively, making the dollar a fiat currency that the government could “print” as much of as they wanted.
This is an exorbitant privilege that other countries do not enjoy. By this, I mean that no matter what problems our country faces, we can print our way out of trouble. The oversupply of the dollar would normally cause hyperinflation in our country, but since ours is the world currency, we can export our surplus dollars to the rest of the world by running a trade deficit.
Exporting dollars is a great business to have, since instead of goods, which requires costly manufacturing, dollars can be created by simply adding an entry into the Fed’s computer system. However, a side effect is, that nobody wants to invest in manufacturing and no young people want to work in factories. All smart kids want to be in finance, the industry that is closely related to money creation, allocation, and management. This has led to overfinancialization and the gradual deindustrialization of the country (See chart below.)
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Today I went to listen to Professor Jing of Renmin University speaking about US – China relations. The last time I went to listen to the same subject, it was Professor Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago speaking. His theory predicts that the US and China will come into conflict inevitably. I was curious to hear a Chinese perspective.
When I told Professor Jing about Dr. Mearsheimer’s theory and prediction, I was surprised to learn that the two professors are friends. In fact, Dr. Mearsheimer teaches at Dr. Jing’s Renmin University as a visiting scholar.
Dr. Jing does not agree with Professor Mearsheimer’s theory and prediction.
He does however agree that the rivalry between China and the US will intensify in coming years. In his words, “This is structural.” No matter how hard the leaders of the two nations try, the most powerful nation on earth and the second most powerful will always be suspicious of each other.
However, Professor Jing believes this rivalry need not result in open conflict. “Both the US and China are nuclear states. Should war break out between us, only cockroaches will survive.”
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Will China Rise Peacefully?
Posted on: October 20, 2013
Two days ago I went to listen to a geopolitical lecture given by Professor Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago.
Professor Mearsheimer is a geopolitical realist. He has an intriguing theory about global political order which states that there is a 75% chance that the US and China will come into conflict.
I care about this subject because, being a Chinese American, I know that my life would not be too pleasant should that come to pass.
Professor Mearsheimer’s theory is based on the assumption that the global order is anarchic, by that he means there is no higher authority above states, and that each state will fight for a better position in the order.
The US, now being number 1, is not going to willingly give up the top spot, and China, if given the opportunity, is not going to settle for second best.
Professor Mearsheimer explains how the US became #1 in the first place:
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When I was in California, I had a very intelligent debate with a doctor. He mentioned that in 2012, the US took in $2.5T in revenue and spent $3.6T in government expenditures.
He accurately pointed out, “If I spent like that, I would be bankrupt in a few years.” He believes so strongly that the US is going the way of national bankruptcy that he has moved substantial amounts of his money overseas and has invested a great deal in gold.
I happen to believe that gold is the most unproductive of assets, since it does not generate dividends or interest and it actually costs money for upkeep in a safe in a Singapore bank.
On top of that, by throwing so much money into gold, one could over prepare for a disaster that is very unlikely to happen and thereby miss out on all the opportunities to grow wealth in this country.
But I still need to explain why the US won’t go bankrupt anytime soon. Here are two explanations:
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Bullet train
I just came back from a long trip in China and Taiwan. During the trip, what impressed me the most was China’s bullet train. We rode the longest high-speed rail line in the world – Beijing to Guangzhou – which started services only a few months ago.
The train is futuristic, comfortable and extremely smooth. Zipping at speed of 300 km/h or about 190 mph, the water in my glass sitting on the table stayed still.
With such a speed, one could travel from New York City to Washington DC in one hour and 15 minutes, or from New York City to Chicago in three and a half hours. High-speed rail truly shrinks the country.
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When China runs out of cheap labor
Posted on: April 22, 2010
China has 1.3 billion people. In the last two decades, it is the source of seemingly limitless supplies of cheap labor to the world’s manufacturing industries. Believe it or not, this pool is about to run dry. When that happens, there will be huge implications for the world.
Even before my trip to China, I had read with incredulity that China’s exporting provinces are experiencing severe labor shortages requiring firms to raise wages 20%–30% just to keep the workers they have. My first stop in China was Shenzhen, a city that is home to Walmart’s worldwide procurement center. I stayed in the Evergreen Resort, a facility owned and operated by my friend Mr. Lin.
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Is China a big bubble?
Posted on: April 1, 2010
What a difference eighteen years have made.
Eighteen years ago, I was awarded a scholarship to study mathematics in the U.S. The China I left behind was very different from the China of today:
- Then there was no private ownership of automobiles; now China boasts the world’s largest car market.
- Then there was no private ownership of houses; now there is little public housing left.
- Then China had a grand total of 28 kilometers (17 miles) of expressway; now China’s expressway network is second only to the U.S.
- Then there was no high-speed train service to speak of; now China has the fastest high-speed train service in the world covering the equivalent distance of New York to Chicago in three hours.
- Then China’s economy was the 13th largest; now it is the second largest.
The Investment Scientist 