New discoveries!

This week consisted of writing and compiling notes from previous independent research, while also completing work in China.

This began with a research report written in 2009 by Raymond Lotta, a political economist and author, titled China’s Rise in the World Economy. This article provides the political and economic context for China’s present-day relevance on the global stage. Here are some key quotes from the article that I will later synthesize and analyze with information from other sources:

• Characterized by both dependency and growing economic strength

• At the time, the US uncontestedly had the primary position in the imperialist world economy, the financial glue fo the whole world system, and the political-military “guarantor” of a global order that benefits, at least for now, all the big powers

• Long-term, strategic and competitive orientation to diversify and fortify a domestically rooted industrial base

• Extend the country’s international economic and financial reach, and strengthen military capabilities, but to do so without provoking the United States

• Potential future as an imperialist power?

My own work also continues parallel to my research; this includes analyzing 2023 income and spending records from a domestically well-known travel company. 

I look forward to learning and discovering more in the coming weeks!