The pros and cons of being the Heartland in the 21st century
A man leads a horse on the Suu-Samyr plateau along the ancient Great Silk Road from Bishkek to Osh, some 200 km from Bishkek. Photo: Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP
Crossing Tajikistan from west to northeast – Dushanbe to the Tajik-Kyrgyz border – and then Kyrgyzstan from south to north all the way to Bishkek via Osh, is one of the most extraordinary road trips on earth. Not only this is prime Ancient Silk Road territory but now is being propelled as a significant stretch of the 21st century New Silk Roads.
In addition to its cultural, historical and anthropological pull, this road trip also lays bare some of the key issues related to the development of Central Asia. It was particularly enlightening to hit the road as previously, at the 5th Astana Club meeting in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, I had had the pleasure of moderating a panel titled Central Asia at the Intersection of Global Interests: pros and cons of being Heartland.
The Heartland in the 21st century could not but be a major draw. Any serious analyst knows that Central Asia is the privileged corridor for both Europe and Asia at the heart of the New Silk Roads, as the Chinese-led BRI converges with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
And yet, less than 10% of trade in Central Asia happens within the region, while 60% is directed to the EU. Idiosyncratic practices among the five former Soviet “Stans” still somewhat prevail. At the same time, there’s a consensus that measures such as a proposed, online, unified Silk Visa plan are bound to boost tourism and trade connectivity.
Banking experts such as Jacob Frenkel, chairman of JP Morgan Chase International, insist that the path towards inclusive growth in Central Asia entails access for financial services and financial tech; Nur-Sultan, incidentally, happens to be the only financial center within a 3,000-mile radius. Only a few years ago it was basically a potato field.
So it will be up to Kazakhs to capitalize on the financial ramifications of their independent, multi-vector foreign policy. After all, aware that his young nation was a “child of complicated history,” First President Nursultan Nazabayev from the beginning, in the early 1990s, wanted to prevent a Balkans scenario in Central Asia – as proposed as a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy by Zbigniew Brzezinski in The Grand Chessboard. Recently Kazakhstan mediated quite successfully between Turkey and Russia. And then there’s the Kazakh hosting of the Astana process, which quickly evolved as the privileged road map for the pacification of Syria.
A link or a bridge?
Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington, made a crucial point in the sidelines of our debate: the UN recently passed a unanimous resolution recognizing Central Asia as a world region. And yet, there is no structure for cooperation inside Central Asia. Tricky national border issues between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya rivers may have been solved. There are very few pending questions between, for instance, the Uzbeks and the Kyrgyz. Most “Stans” are SCO members, some are EAEU members and all want to profit from BRI.
But as I later saw for myself on the road as I crossed Tajikistan and then Kyrgyzstan, tariff barriers still apply. Industrial cooperation is developing very slowly. Corruption is rife. Distrust against “foreigners” is inbred. And on top of it, the fallout of the US-China trade war affects mostly developing nations – such as the Central Asians. A solution, Starr argues, would be to boost the work of an established commission, and aim towards setting up a single market by 2025.
At the Nur-Sultan debate, my friend Bruno Macaes, former Minister for Europe in Portugal and author of the excellent The Dawn of Eurasia, argued that the thrust for the New Silk Roads remains sea transportation, and investment in ports. As Central Asia is landlocked, the emphasis should be on soft infrastructure. Kazakhstan is uniquely positioned to understand differences between trading bocks. Macaes argues that Nur-Sultan should aim to replicate the role of Singapore as a bridge.
Peter Burian, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, chose to stress the positives: how Central Asia has managed to survive its new Heartland incarnation without conflict, and how it’s engaged in institutional building from scratch. The Baltics should be taken as an example. Burian insists the EU does not want to impose ready-made concepts, and would rather work as a link, not as a bridge. More EU economic presence in Central Asia means, in practice, an investment commitment of $1.2 billion in seven years, which may not amount to much but targets very specific, practical-minded projects.
Evgeny Vinokurov, chief economist of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development, touched on a real success story: the 15 day-only transportation/connectivity rail between China’s central provinces, Central Asia and the EU – now running at 400,000 cargo containers a year, and rising, and used by anyone from BMW to all manner of Chinese manufacturers. Over 10 million tons of merchandise a year is already moving West while six million tons are moving East. Vinokurov is adamant that the next step for Central Asia is to build industrial parks.
Svante Cornell, from the Institute for Security and Development Policy, emphasized a voluntary process, possibly with six nations (Afghanistan also included), and well-coordinated in practice (way beyond mere political integration). Models should be result-oriented ASEAN and Mercosur (presumably before Bolsonaro’s disruptive practices). Key issues involve facilitating smoother border crossings and for Central Asia to position itself as not just a corridor.
Essentially, Central Asia should think eastwards – in an SCO/ASEAN symbiosis, keeping in mind the role Singapore developed for itself as a global hub.
What about tech transfer?
As I saw for myself days later, when for instance, visiting the University of Central Asia in Khorog, in the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, set up by the Aga Khan foundation, there is a serious drive across Central Asia to invest in universities and techno centers. In terms of Chinese investment, for instance, the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is financing hydropower in Kyrgyzstan. The EU is engaged in what it defines as a “trilateral project” – supporting education for Afghan women and universities in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
This may all be discussed and deepened in an upcoming, first-time-ever summit of Central Asian presidents. Not bad as a first step.
Arguably the most intriguing intervention in the debate in Nur-Sultan was by former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Djoomart Otorbaev. He remarked that the GDP of four “Stans,” excluding Kazakhstan, is still smaller than Singapore’s. He insisted the road map ahead is to unite – mostly geoeconomically. He emphasized that both Russia and China “are officially complementary” and that’s “great for us.” Now it’s time to invest in human capital and thus generate more demand.
But once again, the inescapable factor is always China. Otorbaev, referring to BRI, insisted, “you must offer to us the highest technological solutions.” I asked him point-blank whether he could name a project with inbuilt, top technological transfer to Kyrgyzstan. He answered, “I didn’t see any added value so far.” Beijing better go back to the drawing board – seriously.
The presence of the EU and creatures like Frenkel of organised crime and racketeering entities like JP Morgan Chase International means that corruption, bribery and treachery will be rife, in the traditional Western manner. If the Central Asians refuse to self-corrupt, the jihadists will follow.
Singapore? Oh the lovely things they could export here.
Still the best place in ASIA, in terms of clean,
In terms that Indians, Chinese, Malay (locals), and whites get along. ( Indo’s do all the work, like flipinos in HK, like mexicans[latinos] in USA )
Clean, beautiful, modern.
Honest,
HK had been going down a lot for a long time, I switch over to Macau several years ago for my visits to that area. Better food, cleaner streets and old Portugal gives a feeling like your not in ASIA, like going to Luang-Prabang in LAOS ( old french paris )
Given Singapore’s small size not much they can export.
The PM recently said “The HK riots, could come to Singapore”, so true, but they have a strict control over the billionaires who try to kill the golden-goose in SG. My guess is they would be in prison days, rather than let them burn the city for six months.
I was thinking authoritative crack down, wouldn’t go over to popular here in the states, you know litter and go to jail for 3 months type things.
Well random asset forfeiture wouldn’t go over well in SG.
What about CSD stealing children as they wish, Aseans wouldnt’ tolerate that for a nano-second, dead cops and quick, the entire neighborhood would come out and stab the cops to death if they tried to nab a child.
Yes, SG has an intolerance for bubble-gum, and graffiti, and USA has a tolerance for open drug use and sleeping on the sidewalk in your own feces.
The problem is that ‘jail in asia’ is not a fun place, whereas in the JUSA it means TV, 3-squares, sex with biff, and free optional sex change. Last I looked most asian prisons shackled your legs the first few months, and if your remain good they don’t go back on. Sleep in a common room with a open pit-toilet in the center, no privacy for the biff’s. The outrage,
The problem is the West seems to have made prisons into some kind of dormitory, while in Asia prison is a place you just don’t want.
Also in ASIA they have like Mexico conjugal visits, which keeps the guys knowing what their missing, and they don’t want to go back, on the other hand USA prisons are an anal rape paradise that JUSA fosters. They do the same to the Palestinians.
I used to live near a regional prison here in ASIA, and every sunday the wives, girlfriends and prostitutes would line up with for their 20 minutes with an inmate, quite a long line :)
You left out the part about Singapore being one of the most Expensive Countries in the World. Its currency is now worth more than Australia’s & jus about ALL consumer items are sky high. When last there a couple of years ago a beer was around A$12 for a 330m bottle & that was in a super market !
That plus a totally authoritarian Govt that jails ANYONE who disagrees about just about anything.
No Thanks.
Well put James about the difficulties in Singapore, in addition it has a crashed birth rate. Singapore has had the dubious distinction of being country with world lowest fertility rate (now shared with depressed parts of Europe). However, your characterization of the leadership of Singapore being totalitarian is unfair and exaggerated: the place is still a great place to live far more everyday freedoms than people in “socially trigger-happy” West enjoy (try to have an honest discussion about sexist feminists or the LGBTQxyzabcetc community and see quickly you can end up a virtual political prisoner in the West).
However, the low birthrate yet high affluence paradox demonstrated in Singapore tells us that their is something very wrong and unnatural with the pressures neoliberal capitalism puts on culture and society.
Singapore is totalitarian alright, but in a manner that protects its people from the ‘liberal democracy’ one sees in the UK, USA, Austfailia and other soft totalitarian dystopias. The fall in birth-rates is excellent, and what the entire world needs if it is to avert a Malthusian Holocaust caused by ecological collapse. I expect Singapore, like Austfailia, will be invaded by Indonesians fleeing for their lives from ecological disaster, probably within a decade or so.
You aren’t giving a true picture of Singapore if you claim that “Indos” do all the work. Which “Indos” do you mean Indonesians or Indians?
Indians only make up between 7.5 to 9% of the population yet they make up 25% of the doctors and lawyers of Singapore and they make up 15% of the judges and academicians (disproportionate to their numbers in the population). In addition, they represent 13% of the wealth of Singapore and 10% of the billionaire capital.
The majority of the blue collar labor in Singapore is provided by local ethnic Malay and foreign workers (36% of Singapore population are non-citizen temporary workers, with the Majority being Malay, Indonesia, non-singaporean ethnic Chinese (from China and Taiwan), in that order, the remaining being from Thailand, other ASEAN, finally India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka). And since Singaporean ethnic Chinese make up 75% of the population consequently, they still provide the bulk of the blue collar labor done by official citizens. Indonesians represent a lesser part of Singapore’s blue collar labor force being outnumbered by Malay and chinese laborers and service workers.
Let’s give the readers here a factual picture of the rest of the world, not one based only on anecdotal impressions specific to a particular hotel or district of Singapore.
Absolutely spot on. @mortimer who pops up to push his view has a very jaundiced take on India. seems to only show up with replies when India is involved. I have a good guess who you are — signed, /American.
It’s worth noting that the reason Singapore is ‘a thing’ is because of its location along the centuries-old maritime trade routes. Absent the business of the seaport there, the location would simply be another Southeast Asian tropical jungle.
And I expect the BRI to put a dent in that seaport business, especially if/when more Trans-Asian railroads are built.
In real estate we say, location, location, location
But there are many places along that route, like PENANG(Malay), 100’s of great places like PHUKET-City which were all in their day stop-overs for sailors
I think its well understood that the first PM of Singapore is why its a success, he setup the HK like banking, and also the strict rules, and the honesty as you know banks must be honest there, otherwise the banker goes to the same prison as the rapist.
The reason because Singapore is great is because they had a great ‘Confucian’ leader
It could have been just another whore-house like taiwan, or hk, or manila, if fair values to all had not been enforced.
There are lots of reason’s why Singapore became the greatest place on earth to do business, and safest place for rich people. Lot’s of it is honesty, I know Jim Rogers ( a billionaire ) went there because he got tired of getting ripped off by USA banks/exchanges, and he was from Missouri. ( Jim Rogers is the guy who made Soros rich ); Lots of rich have moved to Singapore, because its the safest place on earth for their family and there money.
“Banking experts [finance gangsters] such as Jacob Frenkel, chairman of JP Morgan Chase International, insist that the path towards inclusive growth in Central Asia entails access for financial services and financial tech;”
What he means is “the banksters need to get their cut, or something might happen to your peaceful economic union”.
But, like it or not the BRI is a globalist project and it needs (much) money to function. Asian Development Bans, of which the ‘financial gangsters’ are members, is a major investor in collaboration with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is fair to have ‘their cut’, but cut to size.
Sometimes in articles like this you need to ASK why is the 500LB gorilla being ignored??
China-Israel are AIIB, China’s #1 partner. Funny thing is USA ain’t allowed to join AIIB, by AIPAC lobbying.
Go figure why Israel can prepare for “Greater Israel” ( annex all of MENA ), yet the USA is the dog on a leash.
Chinese are building Deep Mega-Ports in Israel, its all part of belt&road, it doesn’t matter if its overland, or on sea.
Besides, Chinese aren’t stupid they can see that NOBODY on the earth has the ball’s to target Israel, so why not build your ports where the biggest bully on the block lives? This is how business is done in Africa, you come into a new village and you pay the meanest baddest SOB in town to ‘watch your stuff’.
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I love PEPE, here’s something not discussed. In the recent HK “Freedom Act” signed by Trump, but lobbied by AIPAC.
What they did at the 11th hr to get passed is change “ALL hk protesters get USA visa, except violent”, AIPAC had the remove the ‘violent’ condition from the bill. So now all the criminals in HK automatically get a USA-VISA.
This reminds me of the famous CUBA boat deal where Castro shipped all the convicts to the USA.
You got to love AIPAC, ask again why CHINA&ISRAEL have such close ties, think about this all of the HK enemy’s of China get shipped to USA ( prison colony ), and they want to go :)
@ask again why CHINA&ISRAEL have such close ties
Is it not that ‘Israel’ knows where-from the train comes and it doesn’t want to miss it?
that is the what jumped out at me..the presence of the western ‘banker’s! I was turned off completely. if they are involved forget it
I was of the opinion that Russia/China were roping those guys out of BRI/EAEU business?
oh well!
Is he being taken seriously is the question.
Eyegore, sometimes I wonder if the “banksters” ever experience plane crashes, or fatal car wrecks, or get terminal illnesses, or leap off of high buildings, or become old, and die? Seems to me we all could get along perfectly fine without them, although I strongly suspect they would not want that kind of news to get out. !
The blatant lie that ‘inclusive growth'( a situation that the parasites fight against everywhere and always) requires the financial parasites to be allowed to infest a society, is truly Talmudic in its impudence. Financialised societies are always beset by inequality, elite hyper-avarice and unpayable debt.
The premise here with the land bridge deal ASIA-Europe is that the consumer of Europe buy’s ASIA product.
Me thinks that EU will go the same way of USA, broke tapped out austerity stricken consumers, don’t consume.
Look no farther than the AIIB marriage of China-Israel, and the deep ports that China is building in Israel.
Sure the ‘stan’ route kill get built, but it will not be going to EU, it will be going to Greater-Israel.
The Yinion-Plan, and all will be announced by dTrumpf in his second term. He had the ‘Chutzpah’ to hand over Jerusalem, and steal the west-bank, he’ll have no problem annexing all of MENA for his PM Bibi.
Best selling book for years in China translated to English is called “How Israel Took Over the USA”, the Chinese have had Jewish city’s for 4,000 years. The money gathering Chinese are the ‘Jew’ of ASIA. The opinion in CHINA is that if the Jews of Israel were smart enough to 100% take over the USA without firing a shot, then the Chinese want that team to represent them in the Western Hemisphere.
USA-EU both CIA (EAST-INDIAN COMPANY) colony’s have run the course of their usefulness, so now its time for de-population. In time I have no doubt in a few generations that the USA will once again become the NEW “New Zealand”, once it has been de-populated by +80%.
The Jews have not existed for 4,000 years. They invented themselves c. 3500 years ago.
4,000 year old Hebrew, and 4,000 year old Chinese characters are almost the same. Why is this? Because they had established trade routes, because they studied each other’s trading systems.
Why is this? Why do so few understand the history of ASIA and the simple fact that everyone in ASIA understands that the Chinese are the Jews of ASIA. Why is this such a difficult concept for Western?
I have studied both ( Hebrew & Classic Chinese ). Have you?
Next your going to tell us that the world is not 6,000 years old
“Jews” is just slang for those who plan, and organize their future,
Excellent contribution, Gumby. I haven’t laughed so much for days. Thank-you.
Essentially, Central Asia should think eastwards – in an SCO/ASEAN symbiosis, keeping in mind the role Singapore developed for itself as a global hub.
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Impressive it is, for those that haven’t gone should go, there is a twin tower in Singapore, like the tallest building’s in the city, they’re connected by a ship a 1/2 mile high up in the sky, this ship has a glass bottom, so you can swim or walk around.
When you look to the ocean all you can see is cargo ships at anchor, like HK, but you can’t see forever on the horizon, but in Singapore you can see that forever in the ocean are ships
It’s funny the hairlips in the USA think rah-rah-USA-#1, yet they have never seen with their own eyes places like Singapore which is Tomorrow-land Disneyland in full display, and immaculately clean. World class subway/skytrain, all museums & parks in the city are free. You can literally on a visit to SG other than food&room, have no need for money. The subways are reasonable, you get an ‘octopus card’ which is very reasonable for shopping and travel on the public transportation system. Even entering SG is difficult, everytime I go I have to “PROVE” I have a return ticket, they don’t take any chance that some western hairlip is going to stick around.
I remember long ago Delta Force CMDR Beckwith used to call USA “A third world country, with nukes”, today he would say 4th world country, with nukes on an Israeli leash.
Consulting the Facts, I find that Israel’s influence on the AIIB is equal to Bangladesh, or Egypt, or Hong Kong, or Switzerland, or Vietnam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Infrastructure_Investment_Bank
There are 1,148,383 votes outstanding in the bank’s structure. Israel has 9,910 votes.
There are 75 members (nations).
Now, I know many commenters hysterically empower the Israelis with special powers of influence.
But I have spent scores of thousands of hours studying China over the last 19 years. I see no sign that the Chinese are any nation’s fool or vassal or puppet. Certainly not Israel.
So, dear commenters, please don’t tell the world a canard that Israel runs China’s affairs, especially the AIIB.
“I find that Israel’s influence on the AIIB is equal to Bangladesh”
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain – Wizard of Oz
” Bangladesh, or Egypt, or Hong Kong, or Switzerland, or Vietnam.”
Please tell us, how many “DEEP SEA PORTS” has China built in Bangladesh, or Egypt, or Hong Kong, or Switzerland, or Vietnam??
[ Switzerland – high altitude canals ]
.
The issue is not about ‘voting rights’ in AIIB, the issue is AIPAC told the USA they can’t join, but its ok for Israel to Join.
The issue is AIIB post reset intends to create a new FIAT, like SDR, where Israel has the right to create ( pull out of its arse ) as much as 30% of the total float world-wide. The USA will be getting a much smaller piece of this pie, by NOT being a member of AIIB.
The IMF ( UN creation Rockefeller ) will be kaput post reset ( collapse of USD )
The entire point here is that there will be a “Greater Israel”, USA will be irrelevant, and CHINA is more than glad to give Israel a concession to print FIAT in exchange for being the regional policeman in MENA ( greater Israel )
You definitely are a Wizard to whom no one should pay attention.
What claptrap.
In Israel, China is building two new ports, in Haifa and Ashdod
The “Ashdod Port” will be one of the largest deep open water port’s in the World.
Please tell us about the ports that China is building in Bangladesh, or Egypt, or Hong Kong, or Switzerland, or Vietnam?
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In answer to your query, they are building a small port in Vietnam, and another minor port in Cambodia.
But the Ashdod Port will be the biggest naval base in the EU/MENA region assuring that Israel/China “OWN” the region.
The port is situated near the industrial and production centers of the country, as well as to Tel Aviv, the commercial center. The Port of Ashdod remains one of the few deep water ports in the world to be built on the open sea, and its construction involved great engineering challenges.
The Wizard of Id(iocy).
China treats Israel as a state, like any other, and Jews as just human beings like the rest of us. A state that holds humanity and International Law in absolute, millennial, contempt. But buying into a fight with Israel aids no-one, and if Israel does not commit suicide by remaining intransigent and aggressive, it could yet be a decent member of a New World Order, without a bunch of psychopaths in Thanatopolis DC calling the shots.
I find it strange that a good write-up on Central Asian affairs such as this piece, gets heavily-diverted in the comments section by lengthy critical asides on China, Israel and Singapore.
To make passing comments and reflections in any write-ups is quite common in these globalized age but to critically dwell on these extraneous countries in any serious scrutiny of the topic-country/region is rather strange, I must add !
Mulga and/or Larch,
Please explain to us from an Asian point of view, how we can murder children like Israel does in Palestine, and it doesn’t even get covered by Western media.
In HK all we do is spray water on student protesters and there is international outrage, yet Israel can murder people 24/7? How can this be? I have seen 100’s of photos of dead children incinerated by white phosphorous, and nobody cares in the west. Does Israel have a special license to kill? Are they special? Is this a western mentality?
Is it because Israel owns the western media? Or they just good at ‘teflon politics’???
We need to know, because China needs to safely operate in the West, but we need to understand the tools of Israel that allows Murder with no public outcry.
Please help us duplicate or understand the double standard. We would prefer not to hire the Israeli’s to be our ‘front men’ in the Western World, if we could duplicate their ability to murder without repercussion it would be a tremendous investment opportunity.
I can’t speak for an Asian, or any Asian POV. I will say this about China operating in the West.
China always brings its culture and civilization with it. Far too few Chinese can take off those filters when dealing in the West or with Westerners.
So, it faces speed bumps in its progress of being understood.
Even with its Foreign Ministry, Global Times and Xinhua News replies and State Council White Papers, China has not modified its style or substance. CGTN, its cable and web news and information outlet does better, but it is far from the slick reptilian new media sourcing and counter-propaganda of the West. It is better than Russia’s, by far.
However, both Russia and China insist on the Truth, and this limits the “product”. The US, UK, Israel have absolute disregard for the Truth, so they do much better massaging minds with their messaging technologies.
For instance, take Xinjiang and the facts. The Chinese invited press from the world, diplomats and leaders of Muslim nations who went there to examine the situation. None of them saw the institutions as prisons, nor the education programs as anti-Muslim, Islamphobic. Yet, China has not gotten this result out to the Western audience.
Hong Kong developed into a hellhole because Beijing has had hands off the education and media situation the entire time since the turnover. Even Jack Ma/Alibaba owning SCMP newspaper-website altered nothing. Ma promised the content would not change, even though SCMP is virulently anti-Beijing. And anti-Beijing it remains.
Thus, the Chinese tie their hands behind their backs when dealing in the West (and Hong Kong is in the West, culturally). They are becoming a bit more assertive with FM statements. The relationship with Russia is teaching them that the West respects realpolitik power in any form, and they are beginning to use theirs, also.
The trade talks are a good arena to watch. And the Meng Wanzhou case in Canada is another. China has flexed its muscles in these two on-going crises. This is a good sign of progress.
I expect that with South China Sea, Taiwan and ultimately, Hong Kong, they will show great resolve.
However, those are in their sphere.
Huawei in the West is something to watch. Though a private corporation it is the gem of Chinese technology and the importance is critical. Read everything about Huawei and ZTE. This is the leading edge of the clash of the West against China. The US intends to destroy Huawei. The reason? The US tech companies cannot compete with the Chinese corporation, its private status, its endless source of young researchers coming from China, and the momentum that has been built from 3G to 4G to 5G and now into 6G research and development.
To move forward, the US must fold its tech corporations into a state controlled consortium. Singly, they have no interest in the capital expenditure of development. This is why the West’s 5G is Ericsson and Nokia, with no American corporation in the sector.
So, what the Chinese are doing correctly is defining the race ahead, to 2025, then to 2049. This terrifies the West and why the Indo-Pacific containment strategy is the last hope for the West.
China will out-STEM the West and have the AI, Quantum Computing and Communications, Robotics, Genetic and Space sciences they need to control its own future.
Almost 100% of Chinese students are returning from the West to work inside Chinese corporations. This dooms the West to a brain drain of enormous numbers.
China is building three new massive megalopolises: around Beijing, around Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau-Shenzhen. These developments will spur internal growth of science finance, technology and culture. Nowhere in the West is anything like this. Most of the West is still structured atop early 20th Century infrastructure. Comparably, the West is riding horses, the Chinese are in jet planes.
All you get in Austfailia re. China is relentless racist, Orientalist, arrogant and contemptuous hate propaganda. Nothing good happens in China, which is like Nazi Germany-I kid you not. This morning they spoke on the radio of the PISA rankings of school student capabilities. At one stage they reported that, while Austfailia was, as usual, falling ever further behind, the top spot was occupied by China, with Singapore second, but some way behind.
One hour later that was changed to Singapore being first. Obviously one of the hard Right Thought Controllers infesting the Government-owned propaganda system had heard the earlier report, with its positive news re. China, and that just will not do. So China was ‘disappeared’ (they wish!)and nice, compradore, Western arse-kissing, Singapore became number one. Goebbels was just a beginner besides these thugs.
Actually, Mulga, the BBC just did a report on PISA 1 day ago and claimed Estonia is number one in PISA (because they don’t segregate students, hilarious given the homogeneous nature of Estonia).
Do you think that the BBC switching the top spot from Singapore to Estonia is to pro white and anti-chinese racism? (given Estonia is 99% white Northern European, and Singapore is 75% ethnic Han Chinese).
What is your take on this.
It was to do with Mathematics, only. Perhaps Estonia was tops overall, no doubt due to the remaining Russian population. Oh, I see-Estonia was tops in Europe, but behind China, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong. And, no doubt, the Evil ChiComms are cheating, somehow. Estonia was best in the West, and that’s all that counts for the BBC presstitutes.
Again Larchmonter, and mulga, where are your recommendations to chan? Others are curious too: given your professional background in media, documentary and film making, any recommendations and insight you provide would be quite enlightening
You’ve indicated that you have background in media and film making in the past (with the ABC network): what can China do to achieve a similar level of understanding with the the US system that AIPAC has achieved? What do you two recommend? Instead of restating how great you think China is, is there specific advise you can offer them?
It is oddly amusing the previous moderator censored this useful question, do they have enough respect for your professional knowledge to put this question to you?
The Zionazis control the West’s politics and fakestream media. There’s your answer. To mention Zionazi crimes against humanity is ‘antisemitic’ and will end your career as a paid liar and disinformer. Simples.
Sputnick has a piece on “n late August 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that large numbers of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities were being detained in political “re-education camps” in Xinjiang, often for long periods without being charged or tried, under the pretext of countering terrorism and religious extremism”
But the UN claimed no such thing according to Sputnick has a piece on “n late August 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that large numbers of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities were being detained in political “re-education camps” in Xinjiang, often for long periods without being charged or tried, under the pretext of countering terrorism and religious extremism”
But the UN claimed no such thing according to Greyzone
https://thegrayzone.com/2018/08/23/un-did-not-report-china-internment-camps-uighur-muslims/