China will invest $400 billion in Iran energy and infrastructure but nothing in strategic pact allows for a Chinese troop presence or island handover
By Pepe Escobar – republished from Asia Times by permission of author
Two of the US’s top “strategic threats” are getting closer and closer within the scope of the New Silk Roads – the leading 21st century project of economic integration across Eurasia. The Deep State will not be amused.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi blasted as “lies” a series of rumors about the “transparent roadmap” inbuilt in the evolving Iran-China strategic partnership.
That was complemented by President Rouhani’s chief of staff, Mahmoud Vezi, who said that “a destructive line of propaganda has been initiated and directed from outside Iran against the expansion of Iran’s relations with neighbors and especially (with) China and Russia.”
Vezi added, “this roadmap in which a path is defined for expansion of relations between governments and the private sectors is signed and will continue to be signed between many countries.”
To a great extent, both Mousavi and Vezi were referring to a sensationalist report which did not add anything that was not already known about the strategic partnership, but predictably dog-whistled a major red alert about the military alliance.
The Iran-China strategic partnership was officially established in 2016, when President Xi visited Tehran. These are the guidelines.
Two articles among the 20 listed in the agreement are particularly relevant.
Item 7 defines the scope of the partnership within the New Silk Roads vision of Eurasia integration: “The Iranian side welcomes ‘the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road’ initiative introduced by China. Relying on their respective strengths and advantages as well as the opportunities provided through the signing of documents such as the “MOU on Jointly Promoting the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road’ and ‘MOU on Reinforcement of Industrial and Mineral Capacities and Investment’, both sides shall expand cooperation and mutual investments in various areas including transportation, railway, ports, energy, industry, commerce and services.”
And item 10 praises Iran’s membership of the AIIB: “The Chinese side appreciates Iran’s participation as a ‘Founding Member’ of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Both sides are willing to strengthen their cooperation in the relevant areas and join their efforts towards the progress and prosperity of Asia.”
So what’s the deal?
The core of the Iran-China strategic partnership – no secret whatsoever since at least last year – revolves around a $400 billion Chinese investment in Iran’s energy and infrastructure for the next 25 years. It’s all about securing a matter of supreme Chinese national interest: a steady supply of oil and gas, bypassing the dangerous bottleneck of the Strait of Malacca, secured with a median 18% discount, and paid in yuan or in a basket of currencies bypassing the US dollar.
Beijing will also invest roughly $228 billion in Iranian infrastructure – that’s where the AIIB comes in – over 25 years, but especially up to 2025. That ranges from building factories to badly needed energy industry renovation, all the way to the already in progress construction of the 900 km-long electric rail from Tehran to Mashhad.
Tehran, Qom and Isfahan will also be linked by high-speed rail – and there will be an extension to Tabriz, an important oil, gas and petrochemical node and the starting point of the Tabriz-Ankara gas pipeline.
All of the above makes total sense in New Silk Road terms, as Iran is a key Eurasian crossroads. High-speed rail traversing Iran will connect Urumqi in Xinjiang to Tehran, via four of the Central Asian “stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) all the way to West Asia, across Iraq and Turkey, and further on to Europe: a techno revival of the Ancient Silk Roads, where the main language of trade between East and West across the heartland was Persian.
The terms of aerial and naval military cooperation between Iran and China and also Russia are still not finalized – as Iranian sources told me. And no one has had access to the details. What Mousavi said, in a tweet, was that “there is nothing [in the agreement] about delivering Iranian islands to China, nothing about the presence of military forces, and other falsehoods.”
The same applies to – totally unsubstantiated – speculation that the PLA would be granted bases in Iran and be allowed to station troops in Iranian territory.
Last Sunday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed Iran and China had been negotiating “with confidence and conviction” and there was “nothing secret” about the agreement.
Iranian, Chinese and Russian negotiators will meet next month to discuss terms of the military cooperation among the top three nodes of Eurasia integration. Closer collaboration is scheduled to start by November.
Geopolitically and geoeconomically, the key take away is that the US relentless blockade of the Iranian economy, featuring hardcore weaponized sanctions, is impotent to do anything about the wide-ranging Iran-China deal. Here is a decent expose of some of the factors in play.
The Iran-China strategic partnership is yet another graphic demonstration of what could be deconstructed as the Chinese brand of exceptionalism: a collective mentality and enough organized planning capable of establishing a wide-ranging, win-win, economic, political and military partnership.
It’s quite instructive to place the whole process within the context of what State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed at a recent China-US Think Tanks meeting, attended, among others, by Henry Kissinger:
“One particular view has been floating around in recent years, alleging that the success of China’s path will be a blow and threat to the Western system and path. This claim is inconsistent with facts, and we do not agree with it. Aggression and expansion are never in the genes of the Chinese nation throughout its 5,000 years of history. China does not replicate any model of other countries, nor does it export its own to others. We never ask other countries to copy what we do. More than 2,500 years ago, our forefathers advocated that ‘All living things can grow in harmony without hurting one another, and different ways can run in parallel without interfering with one another’”.
Three of the four great civilizational pillars of Eurasia are in place—China, Russia, and Iran.
Modi, with thumbs firmly inserted up his buttocks, refuses to discover India’s destiny without the aid of the West. It is as if India had disconnected and drifted out to sea, caught in a current that heads it for docking in the Pacific.
Of course, India has economic interests with Iran, military interests with Russia, and security interests with China. But it could benefit enormously if it would fully act with these three great partners.
With Iran and China now on the path to mega projects of development perhaps Modi will wake up and integrate more with the other three.
The big loser in the Iran-China relationship can be the EU. They have obeyed the US sanctions regime against Iran, depriving themselves of Iran’s huge market.
With Russia and China both aligned militarily with Iran, the US is left with no Full Spectrum Dominance tactic left to subdue Iran.
Quietly, the worm has turned.
And that is how we saw and are seeing Russia and China work. Quietly – but when the work bears fruit, it is a major change. The resistance countries are turning that worm! India will spitter and spatter but eventually they will get the message.
But I am concerned about Venezuela again. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-something-big-will-happen-venezuela-well-be-very-much-involved
That makes two of us Amarynth
The Orange Crested Idiot has been itching to place a puppet President in Venezuela so that TPTB can control [read thieve from] the country with the largest known oil reserve on the globe.
This ‘preoccupation’ even preceded his occupation of the big old house. Mainstreet Venezuela will continue to hear one of the most chilling and terrifying phrases in the English language ringing in their ears…” we are the US and we are coming to help”.
An intervention in Venezuela would make sense to this moron for a whole host of reasons.
#1 It would be a reaffirmation of the Munroe Doctrine and have the Deep State absolutely drooling at the mouth.
#2 It would divert attention from his disastrous bungling of the Covid-19 situation leading up to November.
#3 It’s actually long overdue for Uncle Sam to pick up yet another small and relatively defenseless country by the scruff of the neck and throw it against a wall… if for no other reason than to prove that they still can…treble bonus this time though…oil, almost a given…proof that the Venezuelan brand of socialism doesn’t work…and that the US brand [reverse socialism] is so ‘fantastically successful’.
#4 Presidential approval invariably spikes with military intervention regardless of how ill-founded the action is. It has been demonstrated in the past that the less Joe-Blow public knows about a country and the further away it is the more they are convinced that Uncle Sam should intervene. In this case, Venezuela is not so far away and some may even have a vague notion of where it is located…but for heaven’s sake don’t let minor detail like that get in the way…surely this country needs to be invaded and ‘helped’ regardless of where it is lies or what its circumstances are.
#5 Jobs, jobs, jobs as Trump himself puts it… ever so eloquently!
#6 More and more the US is being restricted in its mayhem creation in the ME with an emboldened Iran backed up by both Russia and China. They desperately need another sandpit to bully. Logistically this one will be far more problematic for Russia and China to foil their plan.
Amarynth and Larchmonter et al…methinks I can hear the beat of the drums of war even from way down here. These latest utterings of the BIC [bafoon in chief] are absolutely chilling. 2020 has been an unmitigated disaster from day one…it could well get worse…much worse.
Sadly
Col
Don’t forget that Russia and China have been outspoken about warning the US against an overthrow.
I wrote several months ago that Trump needs Florida to win re-election, and South Florida pivots on anti-Cuba and anti-Venezuela sentiments.
He doesn’t have to do an overthrow. He has to do something that is a strong show. Like a naval blockade.
There is no sentiment in Colombia and Brazil right now to assist the US in any combat.
Trump isn’t going to trust the CIA and State Dept. who have failed over and over since Chavez’ early days.
He will trust the Navy. I expect a naval blockade, sinking a Venezuelan ship, and a lot of bluster before the election.
Much more likely that the US will try to kill Maduro (bomb remote controlled) or a drone strike.
Even a close call will satisfy the So. Fla. voters. He has to show intent to remove Maduro from the scene.
A naval blockade could be trump s plan.
But a naval blockade will most likely cross russian and chinese redlines. Killing maduro even more.
Moreover a naval blockade is a declaration of war. The tankers from iran will be involved.
The result of the operation could be a war with both venezuela and iran just like the saker wrote in an article a few weeks ago.
I think trump should do nothing. Nothing is better than this dangerous move.
@ Laurent
You are correct – a naval blockade aint going to happen anytime soon.
But keep watching – this is already deeper than many (most) people realise.
Firstly, people dont seem to realise the British are involved here again – as they are with much malfeasance globally (Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Hong Kong, to name a few).
However, as per the usual distraction tactic when it comes to Iran – all eyes are the US and Israel whilst it is the UK that does a significant amount of the really dirty work.
Let us not forget that the British assault on Syria – through information warfare and propaganda (MI6 White Helmets, MI6 Rebels, MI6 “Assad must go!” meme, to name a few) was also (mostly) an attack against Iran.
It is believed that British trained ‘Rebels’ are responsible for targeting (or designating for other to target) Iran forces and weapons inside Syria, and it has been shown that the British assisted (some even say few) the Saudi airforce to achieve there sudden massively improved ‘hit rate’ in Yemen. And yes, I know that IDF pilots flying Saudi planes were responsible for losses of Iranian military aid to Yemen.
But I am digressing, let us not forget also that it was the British who seized the Iranian tanker en-route to Syria.
I am just laying the picture here, because going well under the radar (well under) is the British involvement in Venezuela.
I will skip over the British Foreign office (code for MI6) links to Guido the ‘internationally recognised president’ and skip over the seizure of Venezuelan Gold in London, and draw peoples attention to the build up of British forces (Spec ops, Intel, signals and Naval support forces) near Venezuela.
Near Venezuela? Where?!? I here people ask –
Curacao.
Curacao is a British base barely 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela. There is also another………..
This is not for an invasion,
it not for a naval blockade,
so what is it for?
I will reveal that in another comment soon, but for now keep in mind ‘The British’ whilst you are being directed to look at the US.
Before I come back later to explain what the British are up to, I want people to think about why the recent convoy of fuel (and parts, weapons, and personnel) on the “tankers” from Iran to Venezuela were not interfered with by either the US or the UK.
Why did Venezuela send out (near enough) all it had to escort barrels of gasoline product when the US had no significant presence nearby and was therefore no real threat to the covoy (submarines excepted perhaps)?
Keep an eye on the British in the region – they are key to what has been planned for Venezuela before the US Dollar collapse takes place.
Better for you, maybe; certainly better for Venezuela.
But, Trump needs to get re-elected.
Can’t wait to hear the Nostradamus 93 spin on the TIC’s latest blathering proclamations re Venezuela. So far the silence is quite eerie really… goodness me you could almost hear a tweet being…well, tweeted.
Lol
Col
Sorry Colonel…no time for it ………til now…….other than something hasty this morning for your cartoon worldview………… that was moderated into the Vineyard Dust Bin……(But it was a few minutes of fun, so I’m fine with it!)……. I see.
But there was really no need for any spin…………since Londonistan sewer dweller pretty much nailed it down………. to your Commonwealth Crown.
In regard to that:
https://thecommonwealth.org/member-countries
You really ought to read his comment again and check the map of the above link…..especially in terms of the “Crown Jewel” India…..and a little neighbor in the Commonwealth just east of Venezuela….in addition to the Commonwealth Islands to the north!
And…..OMG…surprise surprise! Kiwiland is all Commonwealth Blue as well!
People in Glass Imperial Houses shouldn’t chuck stones at Orange Man quite so much! LOL.
You’ll soon find out why….. as jiri warns below for your Crown Jewel…..I’d brace for identity shocks down under, as well. The surprise of becoming proper citizens of republics…..no longer “subject” to her Satanic Majesty’s Empire……at about the same time we Yanks snap out of our AZ Empire nightmare…..and do the same
Cheers!
The Indian elite consider themselves to be the proud and loyal successors of the East India Company. They view the world entirely in terms of how the West sees the world and they are proud that they do and to say that they do.
The Indian elites and the media and the Indian public get all their information on China from the Western media, Western government, Western thinktanks, Western academia. There is only a handful of first hand Indian sources of information and viewpoints on China and these are obscure and barely make in onto the popular stage.
My guess is that the current situation over the border was initiated by the Indian establishment that opposes rapprochement with China and alliance with the US at the behest of the US. It wouldn’t be an alliance but vassalage but they don’t realise since they are still stuck in the East India Company mindset.
It will be interesting to see how China plays this. Perhaps China can get India on their side by giving India what it wants on the border issue and/or throwing Pakistan under the bus and giving India what it wants on that side of the equation. Time will tell. Disintegrating Pakistan might be an aim of the US too since it would create instability on Iran’s border thus helping to further US aims on that score.
I don’t see India joining the multipolar camp any time soon. At best it will stay neutral which will also be difficult since the US position is very clear on this. Not with us=against us.
Either way India is in for big changes and big shocks.
Small correction:
My guess is that the current situation over the border was initiated by the Indian establishment that opposes rapprochement with China and alliance with the US at the behest of the US.
should have added the word given below in capitals and quote:
My guess is that the current situation over the border was initiated by the Indian establishment that opposes rapprochement with China and “PREFERS” alliance with the US at the behest of the US.
jiri, I agree. The Indian elite is very much of the Thatcher mind-set: There is no such thing as society. Moreover, the Indian elite dispises India and the Indian people, (which btw is multi cultural and multi language). The Hindu-fascist Modi seems to be in the pocket of Western interests although he does want to appear independent. His “opponent” Rahul Gandhi is spineless and westernised. I am sorry, but Indian politics seems very much like Western politics to me, with a slight difference when it comes to Kerala, of course, and possibly some other small states. It will take time for Indian elites to reorient.
Fact is that I think China objects to India cavorting with US in the so-called “Quad” (alongside Japan and Australia , who are merely concubines of the US), and , in particular, the reported Indian naval participation in military exercises in the Starits of Malacca ! If it were confined to exercises in Arabian Sea or Bay of Bengal, perhaps, China would take it more coolly. In any case, India can , probably get China to really pull back in Ladakh if India backpedals from Starits of Malacca and South China Sea. CChina has also now demonstarted that India cannot rely on any concrete US military support , when push comes to shove. India insists that sucking out the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir is an internal problem. But the claim last year in Indian Parliament by the Home Minister (Amit Shah, Modi’s lieutenant), that we would physically retake Aksai Chin would have also hugely pricked China. It is high time that India and China settle their border , and India has to make it clear that we do not support political goals of Dalai Lama. India must take China into confidence in regard to Dalai Lama. You are right in saying that “Indian Elite” is pro-US but our freedom struggle and the entire culture arising therefrom is very different In fact, in 1965, Diego Garcia was partof the British Colony of Mauritius and Mauritians were negotiating for independence at that time. Brits , characteristically, imposed a condition that Diego Garcia would be separated from Mauritius and they would give it to US for a military base. India, as partof the Afro-Asian summit powers meeting in Algiers in 1965 condemned “anglo-american imperialists and warned the imperialists not to hive away Diego Garcia and not to have a Base there”. Of course, the WhiteSkins cared two hoots and went ahead. Today, planes from Diego Garcia destroy whole countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. .The West is able to play off Asian countries against each other. China was herself implicated in suporting US interference in Afghanistan. Actually, the Soviet-supported Najibullah Govt in Afghanistan deserved support , as social conditions such as women’s status improved vastly. All set back now by Taliban. China reportedly gave even weapons to the Mujaheddin at that time.
Bit of a stretch to put Russia on the same level as China, India and Persia as “civilizational pillar”. Russia ended up becoming a huge country geographically, but until well into the Modern Era was little more than a cultural and political backwater. Europe has always been too fragmented and dynamic to have any constant individual “pillar”. First it was the Greeks, then the Romans, then Charlemagne’s empire, then Spain, then Britain… But none of them could possibly be placed on the same level of millennia-long-standing power and influence of empires like Persia or China.
Things are likely to escalate in venezuela.
Trump said this:
“It’s freedom for their people. It’s freedom. Venezuela was a rich country 15 years ago, and it’s been destroyed by two people, but a system, a horrible system. … And something will happen with Venezuela. That’s all I can tell you. Something will be happening with Venezuela.”
And when pressed over precisely through what route this “something big” will occur in Venezuela, Trump responded:
“We’ll be very much involved.”
“We’re going to take care of the people of Venezuela,” Trump emphasized.
What does this “something big” really mean?
I think the us may try to block the tankers from iran.
A few weeks ago the Saker wrote an article about the risk of the us escalating the current situation with both iran and venezuela. We are back at it.
I guess 15 years of full on sanctions had nothing to do with it.
I am Trumpista,but you have to call a spade a spade.You can not deny what your eyes see,and your ears hear.
NWO is on track and on time.
No mask no food,no banking,no mobility.
Everybody expected mark of the beast to be a microchip or something,and it turns out it is the lowly MASK that ushers in Antichrist.
Nowhere is the question,is China being used to usher in NWO.
Really appreciate this lighting on Iran and China planning. Good is involved and Evil will only continue to try to obstruct this great project. But Evil has to face the reality : he’s involved with Satan and that is a loser, and a very deep one at that: he’s sacrificing his own fundamental resources -people – for money. That will never lead anywhere.
This agreement between Iran and China is much more than just development projects.
This agreement is huge and is of strategic importance and will have major geo-political implications going forward.
For one thing, it reveals that Trump’s ill-advised “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran is a maximum failure.
The coming together of these 2 well established civilizations: the Persian and the Chinese is the provrrbial writing on the wall for the US empire.
Why?
All this will be done without using a single $US dollars.
Something like this would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.
With this agreement China gets the reliable energy that it needs to continue its relentless rise and Iran gets to show the likes of the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia et al, that the Islamic Republic will continue to be a poweful force to be reckoned with in the region and beyond.
The US, that now places Israel’s interest above its own, will now be forced to confront the diminishing returns from it sanctions-centered foreign policy – although I wont hold my breath, because with thugs like Pompeo masquerading as the top diplomat at the State Department, diplomacy is interpreted as weakness and commonsense is frowned upon.
With vision and fortitude Iran will continue to go from strength to strength, while its enemies flail about in confusion.
Selah
Tom Luongo with a good analysis of the the China/Iran deal.
https://tomluongo.me/2020/07/08/trump-reaps-whirlwind-china-iran-mega-deal/
The Anglo-Zionist deadbeat warmongering evil empire will not die so easily, it will create havoc before the final gasp, that is why both Russia and China need to arm Iran to the hilt.
Yes, most likely. Along those lines, I wonder what PE would think of this
https://sputniknews.com/columnists/202007111079847118-jcpoa-the-deal-that-wasnt/
I remember PE was in Vienna, where JCPOA was being negotiated.
“Of all the plans to control Iran, from Operation Ajax to Operation JCPOA and everything in between, the Iran Nuclear Deal was by far the most devious attempt at undermining the sovereignty of Iran – one way or another.
The Greek’s Trojan Horse pales compared to this dastardly scheme. Years in the making, the crafty plan even prompted the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) to nominate John Kerry and Javad Zarif to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.”
China has never had a population of 1.4 billion people in its history. China has been attempting to exert its force in the world, and many leaders of other countries are not on board with China’s exercise of force. The U.K. is upset with China because the British-Sino agreement stipulated that Hong Kong would remain independent until 2047 China has had a 50 year history of violating agreements with the United States. The United States leaders are equally to blame for placating American businesses with conflicts of interest in the United States and China to be writing the policies of both countries.
Chinese media attempted to incite national hysteria in Kazakhstan over pneumonia, claiming that there was a new and deadly viral pneumonia strain, attemting to start testing and invoking emergency orders which were denounced and shot down by Kazakhi officials.
Russia also seems to be becoming fed up with the lack of Chinese diplomacy.
I do not believe that most Iranians will be happy about Chinese military bases in Iran. Iranians are very independently minded people. The Iranaian government has the capacity to rebuild those ports and infastructure if it chose to. In Iran, homes are torn down and rebuilt when sold, which are purchased for the property and not the homes, and they are constructed out of steel and concrete, like fortresses. There is not a shortage of materials in Iran. The United States demonization through sanctions have led to a decrease in demand for its exports, so the Iranian government has not had the incentive to be investing in those structures caused by a lack of demand resulting from internationally imposed United States sanctions.
It is foolish for the Iranian government to have Chinese military bases in Iran, with the population of China being 1.4 billion, they could use Iran to expand and take over everything east of Iran.
China has border disputes with India that have not been settled as well.
China is not a very reputable player. Win win for China means that that the country that they are dealing with lose loses. That has been their history, and it cannot be ignored.
The notion of U.S. global hegemony is ludicrous. If the U.S. has had U.S. hegemony since the fall of the USSR, we have to wonder how our hegemony allowed us to become a debtor nation with our imports exceeding our exports and a sky rocketing national debt. If that is anyone’s idea of hegemony, let them have it!
Do not worry too much about Iran . De Iranians are not fools . They know with whom they are dealing with . Iran is a civilization state spanning thousands of years before America even existed as a nation.Chinese win-win philosophy is better than American lose-lose bully . How many sovergin nations will Amerieca destroy to have an unpayable debt of trillion dollars
You do not give the Iranians enough credit. I abhor what America has been doing in Iran since Mossadegh, however, you are insinuating that what Iranians require is a protection racket, which would obliterate any autonomy as a nation. If it is American behavior as a protection racket, that so many object to, then why have China serving as a protection racket? It is the protection racket ideology that is the problem, regardless of who the protection racket is. What you seem to fear most is autonomous governments that serve the people for the countries that they are in, rather than international corporate and international financial interests.
”China is not a very reputable player. Win win for China means that that the country that they are dealing with lose loses. That has been their history, and it cannot be ignored.”
Seriously, what the hell are you talking about? Are you insinuating that the southern part of Africa has been stunted by the trade and industrialization deals with the Chinese? As compared to Euro-trash rule? Africans might have another view on the matter — a view based in their history which cannot be ignored.
What are you talking about? Do you think that the South Africans need the Chinese or Europeans?
Absolutely nothing of the sort. They need sanctimonious cant from concerned Western ”progressives”, forever siding with Western imperialism when it comes to countries, peoples, and leaders that need to be cowed. It’s plain to see that the bogus ”history that cannot be ignored” is exactly the same, Western ”progressives” be damned.
You still have not addressed why it is that those in Southern Africa require Chinese assistance, or anyone else’s for that matter. Probably because you realize that they do not require Chinese assistance, and that the Chinese are stealing from them, which by the way still includes Western financiers using the Chinese as a protection racket, in which they give a pittance to the Chinese for their protection racket, as they had done with NATO but realized that they needed to replace them with the Chinese since they lost the support of both the nations that NATO military forces were from, as well as the support of the nations that NATO forces were deployed in for the protection racket.
The US has a far worse reputation than China in its ‘forward projection’ of force; bases in Germany, England, Japan, South Korea, etc. Rebellions stirred up by the USA in the Ukraine, multiple South American nations, attempts in Hong Kong, Syria, Iran, etc. Unlawful US invasions of Granada, Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam, etc. Agreements broken by the US: Iran, Russia, China, England, etc. Yet somehow, in your world, China is … exercising force? with … one .. foreign base??? And is not reputable???
With respect to Hong Kong, you should do some research. There is a very specific section in the hand-over agreement regarding the development of a national security law that somehow – in the last 27 years – was never developed (can a British judiciary in Hong Kong maybe have something to do with that?). Now that the US has tried the Umbrella movement (failed), and the ‘Demosisto’ movement (failed), the CPP has acted. We needn’t discuss how the British Empire stole Hong Kong and forced the original occupants to live in servitude – hmmm?
China has settled more border disputes with other nations than you are aware of. They often have ceded territory rather than gained it. India is the last border to negotiate, a holdover from the British Empire that *stole* land from Imperial China. If India cannot negotiate a fair settlement, i fail to see how that is 100% a Chinese problem, I’d say at worst 50/50 each.
Cheers!
————————————-
Edited for overbearing wrap-up (Mod)
”China has had a 50 year history of violating agreements with the United States.”
Sounds interesting. That means it dates back roughly to Mao’s reception of Kissinger and Nixon. Were these poor American genocidalists not able to sense the danger?
I have rebutted all your misinformation and insinuations that you posted here in unz.com. For interested readers, please see Comment #15 of:
https://www.unz.com/pescobar/iran-and-china-turbo-charge-the-new-silk-roads/
But I would single out two particular points:
“No Friend Of The Devil” says: “I do not believe that most Iranians will be happy about Chinese military bases in Iran. “
— Neither is China interested in military bases in Iran. Both Iranian and Chinese officials have denied they are doing that, but that should not stop your insinuation – typical projection of evil empire’s mentality.
When confronting to situations beyond your comprehension, you are reflectively using what are familiar with explain what you don’t know about. You can’t imagine China could have different considerations and priorities for *NOT* wanting the bases in Iran, e.g. the risks to be dragged into US-Iran war or other Middle Eastern quagmires, etc.
“No Friend Of The Devil” says: “The notion of U.S. global hegemony is ludicrous. “
— With hundreds of military bases around the world, military spending budget bigger than the combined spending of the next 8 largest ones, over 200 year of never-ending wars since its founding, your statement itself is ludicrous.
See how evil the financiers are, this article illustrating sadistic predation by the IMF, however, private banks are often privately involved as well in this predatious scheme of mandating their necessity, which is of no use to any country anywhere, including the United States. The financiers mandate their necessity, and are backed by militaries around the globe. These psychopaths are not loyal to anyone other than themselves. They do not believe in anything other than themselves. They do not believe in God, ethics, morality, virtue, human rights, civility, justice, law, patriotism, or anything other than their own pleasure and personal material and political gain. They are hedonists and heathens. They own politicians arround the world. Mike Bloomberg confessed in a DNC debate that he BOUGHT 40 Democrats. They are people without borders or boundaries for themselves over others, but have an extremely lengthy list of demands that they insist that everyone else in the entire world adheres to, and as we have seen, have even imposed boundaries on us that prohibited people from leaving their homes and working and earning a living. all based on scientific fraud. They are no more and no less than evil, sadistic, monsters.
https://www.mintpressnews.com/mexico-pemex-debt-swap-imf-usmca/269356/
In part of the opportunistic fraud scheme of the covid economy, they just reported on the rightwing radio without questioning, that at grocery stores, customers are asked to round up to the nearest 50 cents because there is a coin shortage because of the coronavirus, which is a blatant lie. They would like to end the use of cash, and that is no secret. This is a completely made up lie, and it went totally unquestioned by rightwing radio.
It’s not the population. It’s the economy. Even with the undervalued Yuan, it is an USD15 trillion economy. And if based on PPP, it is an USD27 trillion economy and dwarfing the soon to collapse US economy (USD21 trillion) by 29%. And if forecasts prove accurate that the US economy is going to contract by 46% in the second quarter (already past and actual figures will be known soon) then the US economy had already shrunk to USD 11.34 trillion, thereby making China the world’s largest economy now, in both exchange rate and purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Also it is the ability of China to defend herself militarily and to independently innovate and grow its economy faster than others. This is China’s civilisational discipline and competence – a trait which the Germans inherited from their ancestors – the Huns – who got it from their robust ‘interactions’ with the Chinese during the Han Dynasty.
Post covid-19, it is the world who may need to keep pace with China or risk getting left in the dust.
Thanks for an excellent article again, Pepe.
(Btw, also thanks Amarynth for that excellent article of Tom Luongo).
I’m not used to put a slight question mark at your analyses, but now I might do.
“The same applies to – totally unsubstantiated – speculation that the PLA would be granted bases in Iran and be allowed to station troops in Iranian territory.”
True, according to the Iranian law, foreign troops are not allowed to have bases on Iranian soil. If I’m not mistaken, I read this in an article of Ramin Mazaheri, and I trust his writings more than some ‘highly likely’ source.
“One particular view has been floating around in recent years, alleging that the success of China’s path will be a blow and threat to the Western system and path. This claim is inconsistent with facts, and we do not agree with it. Aggression and expansion are never in the genes of the Chinese nation throughout its 5,000 years of history. China does not replicate any model of other countries, nor does it export its own to others. We never ask other countries to copy what we do. More than 2,500 years ago, our forefathers advocated that ‘All living things can grow in harmony without hurting one another, and different ways can run in parallel without interfering with one another’”.
I do believe that the Chinese are interested in trade more than in looting (the zionist way). But are we really, really dead sure that China is not interested in expanding? Do we really believe that they are not interested in reuniting with Taiwan? They are not interested in the Sankaku/Diaoyu islands? Those artificially created islands in the South-Chinese sea are a scientific experiment, and really have nothing to do with the Chinese achilles heel, that is the Strait of Malacca? Just a thought: https://www.nbr.org/publication/responding-to-chinas-assertiveness-in-the-south-china-sea/
For the rest, Empire, eat your heart out.
Be good you all, and stay healthy.
Cheers, Rob
Rob
Last time I counted Uncle Sam had some 800 overseas military outposts.
China had…ummmm…2…how dare they be so bold and blatantly expansionist!
Case rested… and I am no friend of the devil either.
Col
@Rob:
Táiwan is still “The Republic of China” (Zhōnghué Mínguó’/Chung-Hwa Min-Kuo’ ) officially The Diàoyü(tai) was described by Chinese maps and records from the Míng Dynasty when the Ryûkyû (Okinawa) was a separate kingsom under Míng China Suzerainity. The name Senkaku is a bad translation from a misunderstood interpretation on British admirality maps and a name invented by Japanese Navy mapmakers about 125 years ago. When the Japanese took over the Chinese (Qīng) island of Táiwān as booty after warring for it against China, the Diàoyütái islets were placed under local Taiwanese administration, not any other poart of the Japanese Empire.
What will probably be the new main language of trade? Anyone have a guess?
(if it’s English, then I’ll be disappointed)
. Reading Escobar’s comments is a true pleasure. But I must take exception to the following peace of established wisdom at the very end of this article:
. “Aggression and expansion are never in the genes of the Chinese nation throughout its 5,000 years of history.”
. That sentence could deserve a place in some future edition of Flaubère’s “Dictionaire des idées recus”:
Having Studied the history of China in Beijing and in Scandinavia for many years, I should like to point out that recorded history in China is maximum 3200 years old.
. The Yīn dynasty (also called the Shāng) expanded against non-Chinese tribes and nations to the east and south of their original homeland around the central part of the Yellow River (Huánghé) in what is now the northern part of Hénán province. They practiced human sacrifice of the foreign captives they did not turn into agricultural slaves.
. Likewise the subsequent Zhōu (1046-256 before Christ) Expanded before coming under pressure from northern and southwestern tribes.
. The Qín (lasting until 205 B.C.) expanded into the Southwest (now Sìchuān) and the north of present-day Viêt Nam.
. Hàn Dynasty occupied thesame parts of Viêt Nam for 200 years.
. Late Hàn and early Wèi made incursions against foreign kingdoms in what is now Liáoníng Province and North Korea.
BUT: As for the latest 1200 years, the statement is somewhat accurate.