China's Westward One Belt One Road Strategy

tidalwave said:

The term Balance is a vague term. Nothing hardcore about it.

I think its rather superficial and harmless. Its all good.

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Originally it meant countries were strong enough to convince the others that attacking or trying to conquer one was not a good idea. In US propaganda in the Middle East it means Israel being stronger than all other countries together, in the World at large it means US stronger than any combination of countries. In other words the term was high jacked by Western propagandists.

Blackstone said:

I respect your right to knock Christianity, with no personal animus on that topic. None whatsoever. But, you should at least get Christianity right in that it's an Eastern religion and not Western. Jesus Christ was a Middle Eastern man, a Jew. His followers successfully spread Christianity to the East, but was persecuted in the West. There were cathedrals in Samarkand and in other Central Asian states long before cathedrals in Rome and Western Europe, and Christian churches were welcomed in Persia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkminestan, India, and China when they were banned by the West. It's a very rough sketch I know, but it's historically accurate.

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True, but I think it is more useful to call the three Abrahamic religions Western while the Eastern ones are Hinduism, Buddhism and others I'm ignorant about. But where to put Zoroastrianism which contributed monotheism to Judaism?

Blackstone said:

Again, I say most of China's neighbors want the US around to balance China. That's actually very mainstream and not controversial at all, so I'm not sure why you have a problem with me saying so.

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I doubt it. In former times it was a usual practice between countries to try to take part or all a a weak neighbour, but this has become exceptional. Russia helped Crimea to declare independence and then accepted its accession to its federation to prevent it becoming a NATO base after the coup in Kiev, clearly a special case. But few countries would consider occupying land and treating its inhabitants in the way Israel does. China has only a border problem with India because New Delhi is unable to formulate a coherent policy to solve the problem diplomatically as all the other neighbours of China did but even in this case China wants to have the advantage of trade rather than conquest, just as in Europe the advantage of occupying and incorporating Alsace, so important to Germany in 1871, would be of no value to Germany in 2017. So what can US contribute to the security position of China's neighbours but the risk of destruction in case of war between the big powers?

Hendrik_2000 said:

Higher standard mean the project will be investigated to death by wasting million on study after study while nothing is done See China built Kenya railroad in 2 and half year. Don't forget that China forgive billion of loan to Africa because they can't afford to pay back. Talking about generosity

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Well I guess they did not have many good options without painting themselves in a bad light eh/ AND THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF A FEW MORE DOLLARS WAS SPENT ON DUE DILIGENCE and better transparency
That's a different stance to the one you took in your earlier post which I have highligted below.

As to the rate that China charge I don't think that is problem It is commercial loan after all and the money loaned come from the sweat of brow of chinese people so of course they want compensation nothing is free in this world
But having said that so long the loan is use wisely to actually build something and not wasting on study after study of expensive consultant with no result. I think it can be justified

Blackstone said:

You should ask about my claim, instead of setting up straw mans then. Go and read your post #171 vis-a-vis my OP and tell me if you didn't mistake my words.

Again, I say most of China's neighbors want the US around to balance China. That's actually very mainstream and not controversial at all, so I'm not sure why you have a problem with me saying so.

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Now your claim that "most" of China's neighbors "want" the US around to balance China? That was my point before your first claim was that China's Asian neighbors (as to convey as ALL the people including government and non-government). There's no straw man there.

Blackstone said:

I respect your right to knock Christianity, with no personal animus on that topic. None whatsoever. But, you should at least get Christianity right in that it's an Eastern religion and not Western. Jesus Christ was a Middle Eastern man, a Jew. His followers successfully spread Christianity to the East, but was persecuted in the West. There were cathedrals in Samarkand and in other Central Asian states long before cathedrals in Rome and Western Europe, and Christian churches were welcomed in Persia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkminestan, India, and China when they were banned by the West. It's a very rough sketch I know, but it's historically accurate.

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And now Christianity in return started to persecute LGBT community, women's rights to an abortion, and all while some of them have a deep prejudice against Islam and sometimes communism. Heck I don't even have start about the history of slavery by Christian nations, the Crusades, and today's regime changing. Heck what's your point? I just made an accurate historical references as well.

Congratulations to the inauguration to the "Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway" (Madaraka Express). Another 470km further extension of the OBOR.

As president Kenyatta rightly pointed out, it is a step for Kenya and her regions industrialization and prosperity, the next 100 years of Kenya and her future.

This step of Kenya is equally a step for China not only in the scope of OBOR but the future of China. It is one step closer between the two people. We should also remember that Zheng He’s voyage reached Kenya in the early 1400s. Today with the efforts of both Kenyan and Chinese we are reviving this great ancient connection between China and Africa.

Aside from the high profiled achievement, I want to share something of the ordinary people, one of them being the female train engineers.


The first portion is about Elisabeth, the woman who was one of the four women engineers on board the launch train.


It is about the program to train female engineers.
Wendy, left the first batch to give birth to her child, but determined to continue.


Concillia, the top of the program, probably chosen to drive the launch train with president Kenyatta on board. She is proud.


The Chinese instructor mentioned that firstly most Chinese train engineers are male, while Kenya send a much higher percentage female engineers, secondly they are all bachelors of engineering (maybe only for the first batch, but a sign of development and women's empowerment of Kenya).

Lastly, I want to share this iconic photo of my age. For younger generation, you may not have seen it, but doesn't it look familiar? It is time for China (after enriching its own people) to help our old friends who shared similar history with us, who had a long history of friendly exchange (ancient), who carried the People's Republic into the UN (the words by Marshal Chen Yi).


Today is one the many glorious days of Kenya, China and Africa.

Equation said:

Now your claim that "most" of China's neighbors "want" the US around to balance China? That was my point before your first claim was that China's Asian neighbors (as to convey as ALL the people including government and non-government). There's no straw man there.

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We were talking about nations and interests, from government perspective and you know it.

Equation said:

And now Christianity in return started to persecute LGBT community, women's rights to an abortion, and all while some of them have a deep prejudice against Islam and sometimes communism. Heck I don't even have start about the history of slavery by Christian nations, the Crusades, and today's regime changing. Heck what's your point? I just made an accurate historical references as well.

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Let's skip the Christianity discussion, it serves no purpose here. I'm happy to share with you reasons why I believe in private.

Blackstone said:

We were talking about nations and interests, from government perspective and you know it.

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Than you need to be more clear next time and instead of carelessly write something that is not 100% true.