China's One Belt, One Road Initiative

[Holac]

[Old_Observer]

There is some changes to it already.

The north sea of Russia is being prepared for shipping to Europe. Shorter, cheaper, safest for security and free of US or EU competition. Only nuclear powered ice breakers needed for few months of year. This is piece of cake for Russia and China.

South Korea wants to join this.

 

A lot of poor countries peoples will get killed for Road and belt and the Chinese are risking only money.

[Holac]

Notice how the maritime Silk Road encircles the entire Somali coast?  The sky is the limit as to how many Somali ports can benefit from this initiative. 

[Old_Observer]

2 minutes ago, Holac said:

Notice how the maritime Silk Road encircles the entire Somali coast?  The sky is the limit as to how many Somali ports can benefit from this initiative. 

The downside to it is Western countries go for broke. If they don't control it, they blow it up.

Add to it the petro dollar drunk Arabs and you have unnecessary wars and destructive competition.

I hope Russia would enter the fray and balance at least some of it.

Requires a very strng leader and country to make the sea a gift rather than source of destruction.

[Tillamook]

^

OO, we get it. The Tigre in you is very Pro- China, but aren’t you afraid for your people if, like you say, “the West goes for broke”?

Also, your hopes for Russian involvement is duly noted. Who knows...they just much oblige you—with the Chinese providing the necessary finanacial lubrication— and come to your rescue..

[Old_Observer]

The Tigre in me says never stray far from America, Britain and Russia. But I don't think you now the real reason behind it and at the core of it.

Every body else will come after them.

For 250 years Russia has supported Ethiopia, even when USSR was in Somalia and USA was in Ethiopia, USSR built the first technological institute and best of all a refinery during king Haileslassie.

There were 130 Russians during the battle of Adwa when Ethiopia defeated Italy.

America does not need to go for broke in Ethiopia, but might go for broke in other countries. No reason to do so and also no ability to do so. but most importantly no motive to do so.

 

[galbeedi]

So, OO,

Ethiopia is safe but everyone else is in trouble if they do not flow the line. 

The western nations are not ruthless as Americans. Canada, EU (Germany and others) are trading nations that want peace and coexistence. The world is not bipolar anymore.There are superpowers, soft powers and middle powers. No one can dictate anymore.

The One Belt One Road is a trade geopolitical strategy to diversify the Chinese trade routes. If the American pacific fleet tries to choke the Chinese in South China sea things could get bad for the Chinese. THe Americans have superior carriers and ships, and if conflict happens in the Pacific the Chinese trade could collapse.

So, these new routes including Gawdar,, Pakistan are putting the Chinese at the mouth of the Persian gulf. Trains and highways are also going through central Asia , Turkey and Europe.

No one can stop trade among nations.

[Old_Observer]

1 hour ago, galbeedi said:

So, OO,

Ethiopia is safe but everyone else is in trouble if they do not flow the line. 

The western nations are not ruthless as Americans. Canada, EU (Germany and others) are trading nations that want peace and coexistence. The world is not bipolar anymore.There are superpowers, soft powers and middle powers. No one can dictate anymore.

 

No one can stop trade among nations.

 

galbeedi,

Someone is able still to dictate every country direct or indirect. That is America.

They even dictate to the Chinese, can blow Pakistan to smittens by India. They are in Afghanistan disrupting so many things of Russia and China.

I agree so many countries are trying to rise up, but will take long time.

As for Ethiopia, its not totally out of the system, its just that it is a very small bit safer than the rest.

[Old_Observer]

Compared to traditional routes, passages via the Arctic can be 30 to 50 percent shorter, cutting time, costs and fuel. They have great economic potential for the world, particularly trading powers such as China.

The Arctic routes will further drive global transport costs down by offering an alternative route to shipping companies, breaking the monopoly of some of the world's key waterways, such as the Malacca Straits and the Suez Canal.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/03/c_136726129.htm

 

https://beltandroad.blog/2017/12/24/the-ice-silk-road-sino-russian-cooperation-in-the-arctic/

1. Cheaper and faster logistics

Transporting cargo by sea remains cheaper than rail or road, explaining why 90% of the world’s goods are still transported by sea. For China, the Northern Sea Route is cheaper and faster than the Southern Sea Route which runs through South-East Asia, India, the Middle East, Northern Africa, the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. The NSR runs along the northern shores of Russia through the Arctic Ocean. The distance between ports in Northern China and Western Europe, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea are reduced by 25-55% using the NSR.

2. Improved trade security

Given the continued importance of the trade for China’s economy (both for its raw material imports and all its exports), it comes as no surprise that China wants to protect its key trading routes and open up others to offer reliable alternatives. The majority of China’s imported energy supply – e.g. over 80% of oil imported by sea – comes through the Malacca Strait, a route that risks closure by rival powers in the event of escalating geopolitical tensions. Moreover, instability in certain African and Middle Eastern countries continues to add risk to trading routes through the Gulf of Aden, Suez Canal and the Mediterranean; in the process increasing insurance premiums paid by Chinese shipping companies. The NSR provides an alternative and arguably safer route given the probability of tensions with Russia is far lower.

3. Resources opportunity

Development and extraction of natural resources in the Arctic present a sizeable commercial opportunity. The Arctic contains abundant deposits of nickel, copper, coal, gold, uranium, tungsten, and diamonds, and currently produces 10% of the world’s oil and 25% of natural gas.

4. Prestige

As China becomes a stronger maritime power, leading explorations into previously uncharted territory becomes a motivating factor. China currently has four Arctic bases, two of them operating all year round. Their maintenance requires regular and timely supplies of food and equipment; consequentially China has started work on its second large-scale and the first self-made icebreaker, the “Xuelong 2“, which is set to be completed in 2019. Xuelong – the first icebreaker – was constructed has been in use since 1994.

Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic

All of these four factors point to increased Sino-Russian cooperation in the Arctic. Russia’s existing strength in the Arctic is reflected in its icebreaker fleet, currently the largest in the world with 40 icebreakers. This is a contrast to the United States which only has two ice-breakers, although only one is able to operate in the Arctic across the entire year. Russia’s experience and infrastructure in the region could serve as a base for collaboration; and China has the financing capabilities to spur further development. That can be seen, for example, in China’s $12 billion worth financial backing of the $27 billion Yamal Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in Northwestern Siberia. The Chinese investment was made in April 2016 and helped to set the project on track despite the financial pressure faced by Russia from international sanctions. Once completed, the project will help satisfy China’s demands for LNG.

Moreover, Russia, facing sanctions from the US and Europe, is incentivised to improve trading routes to China. Combined with the trade security issues facing China, the Ice Silk Road presents a mutually beneficial project for both. And indeed the security aspect should not be overlooked as the militaries of the two countries have already held joint military exercises in the Baltic and South China Seas.

The backdrop of Sino-Russian ties is conducive for the development of the Ice Silk Road, a key pillar of China’s Belt & Road Initiative. During the Belt and Road Summit held in Beijing in May 2017, President Vladimir Putin delivered the second keynote address after President Xi – the positioning of his speech in itself speaks volumes of how the two nations see their relationship developing into the medium term. The Ice Silk Road stands as the latest manifestation.