New Horizons for Belt and Road

by John Maryon

President Xi Jinping's bold proposals, made in 2013, to launch the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) have resulted in a dramatic new chapter covering international trade, investment and cooperation. Those early intrepid travellers who made the long journey between Europe and Asia carrying eagerly sought after goods along the Great Silk Road could never have imagined the impact and extent of today's BRI. Massive Chinese investment along with technology transfer is starting to have a major impact across Eurasia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East with new airports, shipping ports, bridges, power stations, roads and railways.  Over 400,000 new jobs have been created in developing regions
and 40 million people lifted from poverty. BRI offers the opportunity for free and independent nations to escape the poverty trap and to develop without the threatening demands, sanctions and trade embargoes that are used to enforce the hegemony of American imperialism.
During the first decade People’s China has signed 232 BRI agreements with over 150 countries.  A total value of 7.2 trillion yuan investment has covered more than 3,000 joint projects.  China and its BRI partners now look forward to the challenges and exciting opportunities for the next golden decade. China is constructing road and rail links with neighbouring countries including a highway along the Wakhan Corridor into Afghanistan.  Particular emphasis is placed on international cooperation to create new routes to Europe, Turkey, the Arab world and Africa.
China is working closely with Russia and Kazakhstan to link their Corridor plans.  As alternatives to the long sea route through the vulnerable Straits of Malacca, Russia has proposed an Arctic Ocean northern sea route and plans are also being considered for a super canal linking China's Xinjiang with the Black Sea via the Caspian Sea and Central Asian river systems.
Work will continue to expand and integrate new and existing road and rail systems.  The China – Laos railway, which is having an enormous impact on trade and tourism in the region, is to be extended. Ultimately it is intended to link China's rail system to Singapore, and possibly Indonesia, via Thailand and Malaysia. A possible extension via Myanmar would enable a direct link to the Indian Ocean. The China -Europe Railway Express now reaches 200 cities in 25 European countries comprising 86 different routes. China and Russia are cooperating on further plans for high speed goods trains on new routes linking Asia with Europe and Africa.
China will support both large scale mega projects and also 'small yet smart' livelihood programmes.  Improving logistics along with simplified customs procedures will promote the opening up of cross border trade. Steps will be taken to enhance vocational training to raise skill levels of the local workforce. There have been many instances of workers, returning home to their villages, who then build their own houses using the trades they have learnt. Bringing education, jobs and opportunity to poverty hit regions will hopefully make it no longer possible for imperialist agents to recruit potential terrorists for a handful of American dollars.
Green issues and quality sustainable development are important priorities for BRI.  Fossil fuel power stations are no longer financed. The BRI International Green Coalition has been established to promote the use of solar, wind, tidal and hydroelectric power for low carbon development. China will implement a set of Green investment principles and has undertaken to provide 100,000 training opportunities for partner countries by 2030.  Assistance is being given to provide the urgently needed finance and technology to enable developing world countries to address climate change issues.
Central to advancing scientific and technical progress China will continue to stimulate innovation through action plans.Young scientists and engineers from other countries will gain valuable experience by working on joint programmes. Huawei stands ready to make 5G widely available. The application of Artificial Intelligence will become increasingly important. China stands ready to increase exchanges and dialogue with all nations to promote the orderly and secure development of AI. In 2018 Rwanda joined China's Electronic World Trade Platform which enabled coffee beans to be traded on e- commerce platforms. Direct logistics chains now enable coffee farmers to earn up to 30 yuan more per kilogram.
The Western media like to paint a gloomy picture of a slowing economy in China while predicting the demise of BRI which they hate. In fact China's economy is not only booming but is driving world growth. If American imperialism provides investment it is likely to come with strings attached, such as military bases, control of the economy and a dependent foreign policy.
China makes no such demands as it seeks peaceful cooperation, mutual prosperity and quality development. Imperialism resents BRI as it challenges their continued exploitation of the world. Hypocritically it alleges interference and permanent debt for those very countries that have broken free of American hegemony and are enjoying the win-win benefits of increased trade and infrastructure development. Important changes that will allow underdeveloped regions to overcome centuries of poverty  A developing country was having a cash flow difficulty due to Covid and a slowdown in world trade. China did not pull the plug on its loans but provided assistance to ensure stronger development and to strengthen the economy.
It is interesting to see who, for various reasons, are not in BRI. Italy joined BRI in 2019.  However following intense pressure from Brussels and Washington the coalition government caved in and withdrew in 2023. Hungary, on the other hand, has resisted pressure and looks forward to the opening of the Belgrade –  Budapest  high speed rail line in 2025,  which will reduce travel time from 8 hours to just over three hours. BYD, the Chinese electric car giant is to build a large factory in Szeged in southern Hungary. The Russian led Eurasian Economic Union is a key partner in BRI and President Vladimir Putin has said that it has become an important platform for cooperation and development under which all participating countries will benefit. Major pipelines are under construction.
India which could benefit and contribute a great deal is not a member of BRI. It has its own India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor which is seen by the USA as furthering its interests against China.The two great ancient civilisations could achieve so much working together.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is also a non member. It could benefit from transport, infrastructure and industrial investment and has a highly motivated workforce.  Up till now the harsh sanctions imposed under American pressure have been factors preventing this process. South Korea is a member. Given the developing friendly relations between China, Russia and the DPRK new agreements may be expected.
BRI is a game changer for the developing world in its quest for sustainable quality development and shared prosperity. The first decade of BRI has seen a profound shift from a unipolar to a multipolar world and in this process China has been major contributor. It's success also includes an enormous increase in people to people contacts, the expanding influence of varied cultures and the arts and also the promotion of mutual understanding.  BRI has started building a Community with a Shared Future for Us All.  What amazing results will the next decade bring?

Reflections of a Great Silk Road

by John Maryon

East—west trade routes were first established between Europe and China during the Han Dynasty in the second century BC. Columns of camels, ideally suited to the formidable terrain, carried silk, spices, tea, silver, gold, salt and sugar along the 4,350 mile road.  Trading posts and markets were established which enabled trade between diverse cultures.  The Silk Road remained in existence for over 1,500 years linking the civilisations of Europe and China. 
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was proposed by China's President Xi Jinping in the autumn of 2013.  Within 10 years it has grown into the largest infrastructure and Investment project ever undertaken.  A total of 172 countries and international organisations have signed over 200 co-operation agreements with China.  Sour grapes claims by Western leaders that it is running out of steam, is a debt trap and allows China to dominate others have been debunked as over 2,500 delegates including presidents, prime ministers, bankers, technical experts and government officials arrived in Beijing for the Third Forum of BRI.  It was a dramatic demonstration of the building of a new multipolar world order based upon mutual cooperation. It will enable smaller and weaker nations to resist US hegemony while forming a platform for green, sustainable development. 
December 2021 saw completion of the China - Laos 1,035 km. High Speed Railway (HSR) connecting Kunming in south west China with the Laotian capital city of Vientiane. The flagship project was fully in line with the policy of Laos to develop from a land locked country to a land linked one.  Since it opened it has carried some 3, 270, 000 passengers and each day moves 8230 tonnes of freight.  The previous 4 day journey has been cut from 4 days to just 10 hours. Increased employment and entrepreneurial opportunities have been created for residents along the line.  Tourism has increased rapidly and many opportunities created for people to people contact.  Such projects are essentially long term  investment ventures and the route is expected to make a profit in 20 years. 
BRI for land locked central Asian republics is creating important opportunities through infrastructure projects. Roads, rail links, pipelines and power grids act a catalyst for further developments that boost trade and economic development.  China has been able to use the expertise gained, from lifting 800,000 of its own people out of severe poverty, to enable others also to enjoy increased prosperity.  As poverty is eliminated the attraction of violent extremism becomes reduced. The regions’ new long distance railways facilitate trade between Europe and Asia - a new Silk Road is being created for today.
BRI extends into South East Asia.  Indonesian President Joko Widodo's arrival at the Forum coincided with the first passenger services on the Chinese built Jakarta - Banding HSR.  The 147 km line links the capital with the country's financial centre. 
BRI dovetails with Mongolia's Steppe Road programme.  One objective being to upgrade the Trans-Mongolian rail corridor in association with its neighbours.  Proposals have been made for pipelines that would not only transfer Russian gas to China but enable Mongolia to develop it's own oil and gas resources.  New highways are being built and facilities created to speed up custom clearance. New opportunities are being created to boost exports of minerals, cashmere, meat, wool and coal. As with all BRI it's partners China abides with local laws and customs. 
Speaking in 2022 Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi encouraged Afghanistan and Pakistan to jointly build the BRI.  He said China and those two countries should advance cooperation on economic and political development, counter terrorism and security issues. An  important project in Pakistan is the Karot Hydropower Station that will play an important role in ensuring the country's energy security.  A new road is being built between China and Pakistan that will form part of the China - Pakistan Corridor.  
The spread of BRI far exceeds the limits of the original Silk Road as it spreads worldwide.  Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, attended the Bejing Forum and had talks with his Chinese counterpart.  He was the only EU leader to attend the milestone event.  Hungary was the first European country to sign a BRI cooperation agreement with China. Current projects in Hungary include the construction of the 350 km railway linking the cities of Budapest and the Serbian capital Belgrade.  China is to build a huge car plant that will produce electric vehicles in Hungary.  The country's positive approach is in sharp contrast to the collapsing and dysfunctional EU whose weak leaders have been led into a dependence trap by the US. 
Many world leaders attended the BRI Forum in Beijing.  President Putin of Russia was the guest of honour at the celebration event.  In his speech he spoke of forming closer links with the Eurasian  countries and outlined railway developments linking his vast country with the world.  He said that the world today is experiencing revolutionary changes as more countries seek to build a new architecture of international relations that is fairer and based upon mutual respect and mutual benefit. 
Smiles all round as Putin was warmly greeted by Xi Jinping when the two leaders met at the Forum.  Cooperation between the two great nations has never been better.  Cross border infrastructure projects such as the Tongjiang river bridge will help boost trade further. Work is underway to connect China's Northeastern rail network with Russia's Siberian railways. Emphasis was placed on work to link BRI with the Eurasian Economic Union. 
The involvement of BRI in Africa and the Middle East has seen remarkable progress.  A total of 62 States in the region have joined the initiative , most of which have low income and are eager to escape the poverty trap.  A number of key construction projects are starting to have a positive impact.  Five years ago only 40 per cent of Africans had access to electricity and only 33 per cent paved roads. BRI is starting to change all that. The main focus of Chinese investment has been  transport and energy. It is estimated that 10,000 Chinese firms operate  in the region. A typical project is the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway linking landlocked Ethiopia to the sea. To the north, in the Middle East, Syria is joining to participate in creating a corridor linking it to Iran via Iraq.  The opportunity exists to bring prosperity and hope to a whole region destroyed by US imperialism. 
In 2015  NATO member, Turkey, signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  Trade with China is expanding and work is underway to construct rail links to Central Asia and beyond. 
To Washington’s dismay, 21other states in the Americas have joined BRI.  In Argentina the 1310 MW Santa Cruz River Hydroelectric Station is being built with 70 per cent finance from China.  Construction will allow local workers to acquire new skills.  On completion 5,000 direct jobs with a further 15,000 in associated industries will be created.  Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, is not a member but cooperation grows stronger each passing day.  China and Cuba have vowed to deepen practical cooperation.  Joint trade and development initiatives are being pursued in the telecommunications, mining and energy sectors. The successful growth of BRI takes place as US influence declines. 

Taking the road to prosperity

Syria took a further step along the road to economic recovery when it signed up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) last week – a move that will help the defiant Arab republic break out of the shackles of the American blockade and create new opportunities for cooperation with People’s China and other countries in the Third World.
    The Belt and Road Initiative was launched in 2013 to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with other parts of the world along the ancient Silk Road trade routes and beyond.
    Since then the BRI has promoted economic prosperity and sustainable development. Under the initiative, a large number of highway, railway, airport and seaport projects have been carried out in Belt and Road countries, and important progress has been made in building "six corridors, six connectivity routes and multiple countries and ports", and the building of a multi-dimensional infrastructure network has been accelerated.
    The Belt and Road Initiative has also improved people's livelihoods and facilitated sustainable development in several countries. Currently, the 82 economic and trade cooperation zones under the Initiative have created about 300,000 local jobs. During the construction of the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya, more than 300 local enterprises were involved with local employees accounting for more than 90 percent of the workforce. Also, a large number of livelihood assistance projects including housing, water supply, medical care and education, have been implemented in countries participating in the initiative.
    The Belt and Road Initiative stresses the continuous pursuit of green development. China has signed documents on the Green Belt and Road Initiative with the United Nations Environment Programme, and set standards for green product certification and green infrastructure construction.
    The Initiative offers huge trade and investment opportunities to the post-Brexit UK economy. But sadly Boris Johnson has chosen to grovel to the Americans instead. Perhaps his successor will think otherwise.

Taking the principled stand

Top tennis players are not known for championing human rights unless their own personal liberty is threatened. Look at Novak Djokovic, the vain anti-vaxxer who even claimed he was upholding free speech and human rights during his failed bid to remain in Australia to defend his title in the Australian Open.
    So it was good to see another more modest man, Andy Murray, turn down immense amounts of Saudi money when he refused to take part in exhibition matches in the feudal Arab kingdom because of “what’s gone on” in the country over human rights issues.
    The Saudis have recently hosted football, Formula One, boxing and golf events – programmes that have been fiercely criticised by groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for attempting to cleanse the House of Saud’s reputation on the international stage, a practice described as 'sports washing'.
    Though Murray was offered up to £1.5 million to play in Saudi Arabia the Scottish world champion insists he is not interested in “eye-watering sums of money” on offer from the autocratic kingdom that persecutes gays and treats women as chattels.