Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Global South strategic cooperation

EastMed pipeline would be trivial to do with Italian capital and expertise. Italy's Saipem was one of the companies which built NordStream and BlueStream for example. They are one of the few companies in the world with expertise in laying underwater natural gas pipelines.

China will likely stay out of investments in the West. And Syria is still unstable.

China has its own strategic initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure to China. Unless it gets paid a lot of money, doesn't make sense to participate in projects that don't fall under that.

For example, improving rail freight connectivity to Thailand through Laos is very strategic.

They also are starting Lao's first refinery. It's good to help friendly countries to grow and be stable.

Sinopec (with its refinery deal) and other Chinese businesses looking to invest in Sri Lanka

China building fiber optic network in Pakistan as part of CPEC

Work has restarted on the rail project to Myanmar port city Kyaukpyu. They really need to move a little more quickly on this one.

So Lula's visit to China on the 26th to 31st will be a sign of time where Chinese tech is now at top of other leader's wish list.

So, Lula is hoping to get BYD to take over the closed Ford plants
Huawei to cooperate with Brazil in ICT/5G
Also looking for semiconductor assistance. Again, China has full IC stack, which very few countries have.
Renewable energies
space technology

So now when global south leaders visit China, they are looking for technology that they can't get from Western countries. This is a great way to achieve the sino-forming that David Goldman routinely talks about

ACuriousPLAFan said:

In case the West manage to cause chaos to return to Afghanistan once again, is it possible for Iran, Russia and China to completely bypass Afghan territory? Would Central Asia be secure enough for this to happen?

I'm always thinking that Central Asian countries would serve as a good backup option for Iran-China-Russia land connections.

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Securing the neighborhood around Afghanistan is key to securing Afghanistan itself, so it makes sense to focus on that first.

montyp165 said:

Securing the neighborhood around Afghanistan is key to securing Afghanistan itself, so it makes sense to focus on that first.

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It's funny. Two superpowers fought wars to try and control Afghanistan. One became a "has been", and the other is in a rush to become one. In the end, the 3rd to try secures access solely through peaceful business and diplomacy. No war. No assassinations. No regime change. This is the true path to the future. Everything else belongs in the trash heap of history.

CMP said:

It's funny. Two superpowers fought wars to try and control Afghanistan. One became a "has been", and the other is in a rush to become one. In the end, the 3rd to try secures access solely through peaceful business and diplomacy. No war. No assassinations. No regime change. This is the true path to the future. Everything else belongs in the trash heap of history.

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The thing is Afghanistan now try to advance further than their borders which affects many BRI project. Also, US now have passage way from Pakistan to use Afghanistan as trouble makers. Best scenario now is Imran Khan is re elected.

Afghanistan isn't called the graveyard of empires for no reason. Alexander the Great was injured there and eventually he died and his empire fragmented. The British and the Soviets and now the US failed to properly tame it.

Many Persian dynasty did rules Afghanistan for centuries, some of them longer than song dynasty.

gelgoog said:

Afghanistan isn't called the graveyard of empires for no reason. Alexander the Great was injured there and eventually he died and his empire fragmented. The British and the Soviets and now the US failed to properly tame it.

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interesting numbers here. I have to say that China is doing better with some of these countries than I expected. For example, Indonesia and Philippines. Things aren't even that dire with Vietnam and could be improved in the future.
Even New Zealand is about neutral

tphuang said:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1637216120246550529

interesting numbers here. I have to say that China is doing better with some of these countries than I expected. For example, Indonesia and Philippines. Things aren't even that dire with Vietnam and could be improved in the future.
Even New Zealand is about neutral

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The numbers look ok to me, more or less as I expected them to be. A small note:

US is mobilising its empire nowadays against China so, along with the other vassals, I expect New Zealand and Philippines numbers to worsen in the future