Will China hold together as a united country

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

There is a little talked about but extremely important line in China -- the 15 inch isohyet. East of this line, rainfall exceed 15 inches per year, crops can grow in relatively fertile soil, and there is a chance to get out of the misery of poverty. West of this line, rainfall is less than 15 inches per year, and poverty is a permanent feature of the landscape.

You can see this line here: http://s983.photobucket.com/user/drs...nsity.jpg.html

Not surprisingly, most of the population of China is concentrated east and south of the 15 inch line, and forms the land of the ethnic Han Chinese.

The west of the line serve as buffer regions for China which are crucial geopolitically to protect the Chinese heartland from incursion.

However the question is whether China will be able to hold on to its buffer regions west of the 15 inch isohyet in the coming decades. We are already seeing the first signs of trouble arising from vast economic inequality. We are also seeing the end throes of the 30 year long Chinese economic miracle.

When China matures, can it hold itself together? We will see this work itself out over the next 30 years. I suspect a few surprises might be in store.


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