Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Global South strategic cooperation
- Thread starter Strangelove
- Start date
To be fair, Iran is actually the great walls that block western influence to enter china via Xinjiang and central Asia. This is the same strategic reason like north Korea for china to protect.
For Saudis, china sees as a power that counter Turkish influence to spread in sunni world. China rather have Saudis than turkey to lead the sunnis.
For Saudis, china sees as a power that counter Turkish influence to spread in sunni world. China rather have Saudis than turkey to lead the sunnis.
China do nothing and win. The next phase is Israel will occupied depopulate northern Gaza which houthis will also continue and keep intensifies.
Kazakhstan has kicked off the construction of a new 272-kilometre-long railway line to China. The line will link Ayagoz in eastern Kazakhstan and Bakhty, which is located on the border next to China’s Altay region. Upon the line’s completion in 2027, a new border crossing will open between the two countries connecting Bakhty and Chuguchak.
Rail freight volumes moved between China and Russia through the Far East increased by 22 per cent in the first ten months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, as Russian Railways (RZD) mentioned. The largest slice of these volumes was moved through the Grodekovo (RU) – Suifenhe (CN) border crossing. However, a significant boost was provided by the new Nizhneleninskoye (RU) – Tongjiang (CN) railway bridge.
Russian logistics giant Fesco is planning to build a container terminal in Zabaykalsk, near the Russian borders with China and Mongolia. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev “instructed Russian Railways (RZD) to speed up the transfer of the necessary documentation to begin construction of the terminal as soon as possible”, Fesco posted on Telegram.
Fesco’s Vice President Boris Ivanov said that the facility will cost around 41,5 million euros (four billion rubles) and will be able to handle 1.5 million tons of cargo every year. Other than the terminal itself, the new complex will have a storage warehouse and a new rail connection. The terminal will be located at the Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli rail border crossings, one of the main Russia-China rail connections.
Russia and China intensify rail relationship
The two countries have intensified their cooperation when it comes to trade and transport, especially with the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with . At the end of 2022, for example, a new rail bridge connecting Nizhneleninskoye (RU) to Tongjiang (CN) . Moreover, the project for a new one from Dzhalinda (RU) and Mohe (CN) .Other than new infrastructure projects, China and Russia are increasing rail freight services between them. , RZD and Fesco partnered up to reduce transit time between Moscow and Manzhouli with a new service dedicated to cars and e-commerce products. , RZD launched another new service linking Hunchun (CN) with Vladivostock (RU) for e-commerce and postal goods.
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This is exactly why China & India will have a hard time getting along in the future even if border issues get resolved
Question is whether or not China ends up with bases in Gwadar & Kyaukpyu
Question is whether or not China ends up with bases in Gwadar & Kyaukpyu
I think establishing powerful air and naval bases (big enough to station aircraft carriers) near these 2 ports is a given in the not-so-distant future, otherwise, the sea route will be subject to harassment and held hostage by the hostile superpowa north of Sri Lanka.
Recent moves from the Saudis avoiding confrontation yet countering the US:
A few examples from the last month alone testify to the dynamism of Saudi diplomacy and the total collapse of the US’ strategy to “isolate” the Kingdom — , president of Brazil (a BRICS member state, which is due to join OPEC+ in January); in secret ballots to host the World Expo 2030 (Saudi Arabia won 119 of the 165 votes, easily defeating South Korea and Italy thanks to the huge backing by the Global South); the $7 bn local currency (latest sign of strengthening relations with China and a step toward delinking from the petrodollar); leading by example the OPEC+ decision on voluntary cuts of oil production “to ensure a stable and balanced oil market” (revealing at the that it would be continuing its 1 million barrels per day reduction, ie., roughly 45 percent of total production cut of 2.2 million bpd envisaged); and, of course, placing itself at the front and centre of high-stakes public diplomacy over the Gaza war, with China again as its preferred partner (while a Saudi-Israeli normalisation, which might have been a major foreign policy win for the Biden Administration, has become politically radioactive for Riyadh.)
The Saudi secret lies in avoiding nasty confrontation but instead quietly, systematically shaking off the critical dependence on the US by diversifying the Kingdom’s external relations.
A few examples from the last month alone testify to the dynamism of Saudi diplomacy and the total collapse of the US’ strategy to “isolate” the Kingdom — , president of Brazil (a BRICS member state, which is due to join OPEC+ in January); in secret ballots to host the World Expo 2030 (Saudi Arabia won 119 of the 165 votes, easily defeating South Korea and Italy thanks to the huge backing by the Global South); the $7 bn local currency (latest sign of strengthening relations with China and a step toward delinking from the petrodollar); leading by example the OPEC+ decision on voluntary cuts of oil production “to ensure a stable and balanced oil market” (revealing at the that it would be continuing its 1 million barrels per day reduction, ie., roughly 45 percent of total production cut of 2.2 million bpd envisaged); and, of course, placing itself at the front and centre of high-stakes public diplomacy over the Gaza war, with China again as its preferred partner (while a Saudi-Israeli normalisation, which might have been a major foreign policy win for the Biden Administration, has become politically radioactive for Riyadh.)
The Saudi secret lies in avoiding nasty confrontation but instead quietly, systematically shaking off the critical dependence on the US by diversifying the Kingdom’s external relations.
It's been interesting seeing MBS mature over the years. At the start he made a lot of blunders. He sucked hard to US under Trump, initiated a war in Yemen, alienated Qatar, and continued the usual anti-Iranian anti-Assad crusades.
Yet he quickly learned the hard way that US goodwill can change drastically and suddenly with a change of administration, that military misadventures cost a lots of money and breed nothing but resentment and regional instability, and that it's better to get along with your neighbors and focus on economy and trade. Especially for a country like SA for which it is existential to diversify its economy.
Why is that?