What's happening in China?

[onawah]

Why Many Chinese Believe These Disasters Are an Omen
Lei's Real Talk
446K subscribers
7/11/26

"China is experiencing an extraordinary wave of disasters—earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, extreme heat, fires, and even thousands of venomous snakes escaping into flooded villages. Why are so many disasters happening at once? And why do many Chinese believe these events are more than coincidence? In this episode, we explore both the facts and the ancient belief that Heaven may be sending a warning."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YgBfNF-PMnM

[onawah]

China Is Hit by Disaster After Disaster—But Xi Jinping Is Nowhere to Be Seen
Lei's Real Talk
446K subscribers
Jul 15, 2026

"China has been hit by floods, fires, deadly factory disasters, and even thousands of escaped snakes. Yet Xi Jinping remains in Beijing, issuing instructions instead of visiting the disaster zones. Why does he stay away—and why are more Chinese seeing these events as signs that Heaven may be withdrawing its Mandate?"

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=6QYsMpBnH-8

[onawah]

China is Actually Done - Didn't Think it Could Get This Bad - Even We're Shocked - Episode #324
The China Show
390K subscribers
7/17/26

"China's devastation literally got much worse. "

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gsvMW0WxekA

[ThePythonicCow]

Here's confirmation from a different perspective on the problems facing China. Lei's Real Talk is not alone in her observations.

Tom Bilyeu observes that China is not having problems getting sufficient petroleum, despite the war in the Persian Gulf obstructing their primary source of crude oil imports. He figures this is because a major driver of petroleum imports for China, to provide the diesel for the trucks and construction equipment used to build houses, apartments, factories, and infrastructure had already fallen into a depression, but China refused to stop importing petro to maintain appearances, knowing that the world tracked China's petro imports as a measure of its economic activity.

So China was just building up excessive reserves, which the war has now let China draw down to more reasonable levels, without exposing the collapse of major sectors (especially housing) of their economic activity.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mTetYGY-w5E

[onawah]

That makes perfect sense since for the CCP, it's all about "saving face".

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)
China refused to stop importing petro to maintain appearances, knowing that the world tracked China's petro imports as a measure of its economic activity.
So China was just building up excessive reserves, which the war has now let China draw down to more reasonable levels, without exposing the collapse of major sectors (especially housing) of their economic activity.

[rgray222]

Posted by onawah (here)
That makes perfect sense since for the CCP, it's all about "saving face".

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)
China refused to stop importing petro to maintain appearances, knowing that the world tracked China's petro imports as a measure of its economic activity.
So China was just building up excessive reserves, which the war has now let China draw down to more reasonable levels, without exposing the collapse of major sectors (especially housing) of their economic activity.

This video takes you down a different road but arrives at the same conclusion about China. I think that the canary in China's coal mine is resting peacefully at the bottom of the cage, but I'm not sure that it holds for the rest of the globe. Although compelling evidence is beginning to emerge.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=er2GsyqLWc8

[onawah]

China’s Dam Crisis: Dams Fail One After Another, 60m Crack Leaks Water, Three Gorges Alarm
China Observer
825K subscribers
Jul 22, 2026

(Detailed reporting on the 3 Gorges Dam begins at 8 minutes into the video, and goes to the end. )

"On July 20, a strange scene unfolded in Shunhe Town, Neijiang City, in Sichuan Province. Floodwaters suddenly surged into empty streets. Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed muddy, fast-moving water rushing into the streets within seconds. Furniture, electric scooters and other items were swept away, and a child was briefly carried away by the current."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=jd9NUZmw8Kw

*******************

Shanghai Turns Into A Sea In Just 20 Minutes
The Entire City Paralyzed As Drainage Systems Failed
China Observer
825K subscribers
Jul 21, 2026

"On July 19, 2026, Shangha was suddenly hit by a powerful rainstorm. Streets, supermarkets, schools, and hospitals were flooded, turning into a vast sea of water. Traffic operations were nearly paralyzed. Many vehicles broke down, and some people had to use boats to get around. The heavy rain also caused leaks at Shanghai’s top luxury shopping mall, Shanghai IFC Mall, while Shanghai Hongqiao Rail way Station also reported multiple leaks."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8-81JylK52Q

Partial Transcript:
"10:28
Shanghai's drainage problems are not accidental. They are the result of years of accumulated issues.
During urban development, many waterways were filled, wetlands rapidly shrank, and green spaces were replaced by concrete surfaces.
Rainwater had fewer places to seep into the ground, sharply reducing the city's ability to absorb and store flood water.
The so-called smart city becomes helpless when facing extreme rainfall. Second, there's a mismatch between political achievements and infrastructure needs.
Local governments often focus on landmark buildings and luxury commercial districts, pursuing achievements that are visible to the public.
Meanwhile, underground networks, which are less noticeable, have long been neglected.
The result is a city that looks impressive on the surface, but deteriorating underneath. Once heavy rain arrives, the problems are immediately exposed.
Third, there is fragmentation between government departments and a lack of accountability.
Drainage systems involve multiple departments, including urban construction, planning, environmental protection, and transportation.
But unclear responsibilities often lead to departments shifting blame.
Heavy rain is not just a natural disaster. It acts like a magnifying glass, exposing failures in the system.
Fourth, the culture of poor quality construction continues. Cutting corners and using low quality standards exists not only in buildings but also in underground pipelines. These hidden projects have become breeding grounds for corruption and negligence. As a result, the city's infrastructure was flawed from the beginning and poorly maintained.
In short, Shanghai is often presented as an international metropolis with its skyscrapers and shining financial center.
But one rainstorm can bring subway operations to a halt, cause shopping malls to leak, and turn railway stations into waterfalls.
This contrast itself has become a criticism of modernization.
As July arrived, many parts of China entered the main flood season.
From the ongoing floods in Guangshi to the torrential rains brought by Typhoon Bobby in Jaang, disasters have tested local resilience and exposed weaknesses in infrastructure and governance.
On the surface, these are natural disasters, but behind them are years of accumulated human failures. "