EconAir

  INTRODUCTION   Japan gets special consideration because it is further along the demographics declining population curve than any other large country. Unless there are major changes in healthcare technology, immigration, public policy, and birth rates, most industrialized countries will follow Japan down the path of declining and aging populations, and smaller labor forces. Japan's demographics and immigration have become major political issues. In the July 2025 elections, two right-wing parties made substantial gains against the long-ruling Liberal  Democracy Party. Two of their main issues were the rapid rise of immigration and the repeal of a 10% consumption tax used to pay for the rising costs of supporting the aged. Both parties appealed to young voters.     PROJECTIONS   Japan’s current (2024) population is around 122 million people. This is the 15 th  year of population decline, down from a high of 128 million. The yearly decreases so...

  Introduction China has been a spectacular economic success story.  China has increased its share of global manufacturing from 6% in 2000 to 32% in 2024.   After the death of Mao in 1976, a more pragmatic group of Communist leaders seized power and began to change China. Their model was Singapore , whose population was mostly Chinese. Singapore’s economic growth model was that the dominant political party would direct economic growth. It invested in infrastructure, including condos for most of its population. It directed investment. It invited foreign companies to invest in the country. It became part of the global economy. China did much of the same but since it is much larger, it had to go further. It liberalized agriculture, going from huge communes to allowing individual farmers to rent land. That doubled food production. Then it concentrated on manufacturing, with subsidies and favorable tax laws. They established Special Economic Zones for foreign companies (littl...