This building is called the 72 strange building not because it is 72 storeys but due to the unique and unsual structure in Zhangjiajie. The opening in the centre of the building faces the Tianmen 天门 in the Zhangjiajie mountain. I will post some pics of the natural Tianmen later. There were celebrations and performance every evening, with performers in native costumes to greet the visitors. The place is full of people and activities.
4/10/2025
Beautiful China, 72 storey unique building or 72 Qilou. A pictorial essay
When PM and MHA take over the role of MFA
22 minutes on Singapore's position on Trump's tariff war against the world presented by Lawrence Wong in Parliament.
Singapore's loudmouth foreign policy went kaput, went silent after the disastrous smart alec sanction against Russia over Ukraine. That position only pleased two persons, the clown and murderer of Ukrainians in Zelensky and the Biden/Blinken inseparable crap. The Asean leaders did not want to have anything to do with it and chose not to comment but quietly voted with their feet by joining BRICS.
Russia was infuriated by this solitary stand of Singapore, and knowing that it was just Singapore, officially announced that Singapore would not be allowed to join BRICS. Since then, MFA went dumb, speechless and probably went on vacation, not to be seen, not to be heard. The silent admission of this great uncoerced fiasco did not go unnoticed.
Singapore has many chances of making amends, to take positions against the aggression of the American terrorists in violation of international laws and principles, committing genocides, crimes against humanity, annexing countries, etc etc, but chose to remain reticent, thinking it is better to shut up and not to commit the same mistake against Russia. Or MFA's position is only about singing and dancing to the American pie, not to say anything that the Americans did not want to hear.
Even Shanmugam could not stand it anymore and officially made a statement to condemn the massacre in Gaza by the Israelis. The MHA making policy statement on international affairs, not the MFA. If the MFA has spoken up, Russia and the BRICS' countries may take note and may look at Singapore kindlier.
What the American terrorists have been doing and behaving are all against international laws, against international principles on independence, national sovereignty and free trade, against globalisation, all against the interests of Singapore as a small nation that depends on globalisation and free trade for its survival. But Singapore did not make any principled positions known to the Americans.
In the absence of the MFA, Lawrence Wong, the PM, has no choice but to speak out in Parliament, in the above clip, to state Singapore's position on Americans' anti globalisation and free trade. If the rogue authoritarian regime in Washington had its way, Singapore's viability would be gravely undermined. World leaders, except China, Canada and Mexico, have all turned into sheep, not even dare to blare. Some leaders like in, India, Taiwan and Vietnam actually laid down, open their legs, and invited Trump to do as he pleased.
Lawrence Wong's strong position in defence of small states, globalisation and free trade is demanding attention from world leaders. His call for like minded leaders to cooperate to take a coordinated position against the Americans is loud and clear. Anyone still thinking that America is a like minded friend must be thick and dull. Anwar, as Asean chairman, also shared the same idea. Singapore is speaking out when the world needs someone to stand up, to speak out for the world. The headless sheep needs a clear voice, needs a clear direction as to how to take on the aggressive and lawless American terrorists and bullies. Staying mum and dumb and not doing anything is a sure way for defeat and be eaten up by the Americans like American pie.
See how Trump was shocked into panic when China hit back. A meek world that dared not hit back, dared not speak up, would mean rogue Emperor Trump would have his way. But when the world turns against the American bullying and gangster behaviours, there is a good chance to find a better alternative and not become a meal on the American table.
Lawrence Wong's speech is a wakeup call to the sheep in the world to unite and fight together against American gangsterism and lawlessness. Perhaps Lawrence should also take over the MFA.
Who do you think?
This 5 minute clip is the concise version of Singapore in the face of tariff war by the Americans. Singapore has found a strong, clear thinking, decisive and tough PM in Lawrence Wong. No more semantics and double speak.Trump's delusionary castle in the air came crashing down
I think the revolving door of Trump's administration is about to restart just like during his first term.
How much damage has already been done by Vice-President J. D. Vance in Greenland with his rhetoric on a recent visit, criticizing the 'underinvesting' by Greenland authorities just like reprimanding a child. What has underinvesting in a Sovereign State got to do with the USA?
How much damage has already been created by USA Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the defense department leak. He even let his wife, who has nothing to do with the defense team, sit in at important meetings of the defense department, giving her access to knowledge of sensitive information. And Trump just called the leak a 'glitch' for damage control over his fudged appointment.
And Trump's Secretary of the Treasury is in panic mode after the tariff fiasco clobbered Wall Street. His claim that a trade deficit country is in a stronger position than a trade surplus country really takes the cake. If that is so, why is it necessary for the USA to constantly whine about having trade deficits with China and many other countries. Just for fun and laughter when the USA is already in a position of strength? This sycophant is trying to wriggle out of his bad advice and blaming the collapse on Wall Street on DeepSeek, of all reasons, rather than on Trump's reciprocal tariffs. How desperate and ridiculous is his reasoning by saying this, when the collapse had everything to do with Trump's reciprocal tariff rollout and happened just a day after and had nothing to do with the rollout of DeepSeek weeks earlier. The only damage DeepSeek created was to emerge as a credible cheap competitor overwhelming the tens of billion-dollar tech giants of the USA.
Last but not least is the fate of Elon Musk and his fatal moves that is the cause of his Tesla empire's unravelling. Musk will not last long, with all the protest rising all over the USA and even outside the USA. For a man that was never even elected to do such things is really unthinkable.
Xi meeting Putin, refuses to talk or meet scoundrel Trump
Xi is not going to Washington, but will be visiting Moscow, slated to be in May this year. Wang Yi in Moscow recently is setting the groundwork of what is to come in talks between Xi and Putin.
The coming visit of Xi to Moscow is telling the world that despite all the attempts to tear them apart, even with concessions for Putin in Ukraine, it is not going to work. Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov have given their relations a deeper and closer link, calling it a 'friends forever and never enemies', nothing like all the 'iron clad' relations between USA and its allies that could not even move beyond the imposition of tariffs. But then, as Henry Kissinger said, it is fatal to be a friend of the USA.
This coming visit of Xi to Moscow must be over something very important going to happen with BRICS, besides the geopolitical issues over the war in Ukraine and Middle East.
Biden pushed Russia to China. Trump pushes the whole world against the USA
China panicked and yet imposed tariffs of 34% on the USA, so said delusional man-child Trump. He is now believing in his own lies. Children are children with different way of thinking.
If China really panicked, Xi would have flown to Washington now to beg for mercy. Did Xi do that to show that he is panicking? No, Xi is not panicking and is going to Moscow instead to meet with Putin. That shows which is more important for China - Russia or USA.
Trump has wiped out a big chunk of the fortunes of the big tech companies with his tariff fallout, which is still not the end of the story unfolding. Musk's association with Trump and his rhetoric is leading to his massive losses of his Tesla investment. Associate with a six-time bankrupt can only result in having the bankruptcy stigma being transferred to Tesla. Trump really has the Midas Touch in reverse as well, just to quote John Mearsheimer, commenting on Joe Biden earlier on his massive mistake of pushing Russia towards China.
The USA can continue to spin that those tariffs are going to collapse China. As if twenty years of spouting the collapse of China mantra is not tired and weary enough. The West does not know how the Chinese economy really works and is making assumptions based on the USA and Western mindset. What works negatively in the USA and the West does not necessarily mean that it will also work against China economically. For example, there is a world of difference between Chinese worker's working attitude and Western workers. In the West, workers fight for more pay and yet want shorter working hours. This has been revealed by Taiwanese workers seconded to TSMC factories in Arizona, where they found this out to their disbelief. Too many years of having free loading on the fruits of others labor in exchange for toilet papers has raised one or two generation of lazy bums that cannot do an honest day's work. They probably prefer to live on the streets with free housing, food from soup kitchens and no utility bills to pay and making use of free street lighting, LOL.
Trump can continue to raise the ante to confront China, while China and the rest of the world are finding new avenues to trade among themselves, maybe just forgetting the USA completely in time to come. Since the USA is moving towards closing its market to others, it works perfectly fine for China, which has been discreetly de-coupling from the USA. Notice too that the USA does not talk much about de-coupling from China lately. Sounds rather abnormal to say the least.
Oh, not to forget that protests are taking shape against Trump, who is asking those protestors to toughen themselves for the pain. Ya, bear with the pain, while Trump cuts taxes for the super-rich. Sounds rather illogical.