The Great Game Changer: Belt and Road Intiative (BRI; OBOR)

[sword1947]

I don't expect them to collapse. But I do believe West is able to weaken Russia through economic warfare/measures. If they wanted to, but it wouldn't make sense for global order unless there are alternatives. Such as alternative for natural gas.

thanks for your help, we need lower price

 

[Providence]

Okay so china threw a rope to russia when it's economy is going down. How can you interpret it as china challenging US ?

The way I look at it ? China is sucking in what russia got to offer is all. CCP has fundamentally been risk averse when it came to its core foreign policy.

China never had the balls to claim macau till 1998 or something from portugal although it was nuclear power since what 1963 ? China will never prefer an economic showdown with US since it knows it will lose especially when their 4Trillion worth of money is parked here in US economy itself.

China will always lose irrespective of what would happen to US economy. It's the hard and bitter truth which they haven't grasped yet.

 

[NiceGuy]

Okay so china threw a rope to russia when it's economy is going down. How can you interpret it as china challenging US ?

The way I look at it ? China is sucking in what russia got to offer is all. CCP has fundamentally been risk averse when it came to its core foreign policy.

China never had the balls to claim macau till 1998 or something from portugal although it was nuclear power since what 1963 ? China will never prefer an economic showdown with US since it knows it will lose especially when their 4Trillion worth of money is parked here in US economy itself.

China will always lose irrespective of what would happen to US economy. It's the hard and bitter truth which they haven't grasped yet.

Bro, u should read 'the true story of Ah Q' to understand more abt China. U will find that there is No way to defeat their 'spiritual victory'

The story traces the "adventures" of Ah Q, a man from the rural peasant class with little education and no definite occupation. Ah Q is famous for "spiritual victories", Lu Xun's euphemism for self-talk and self-deception even when faced with extreme defeat or humiliation. Ah Q is a bully to the less fortunate but fearful of those who are above him in rank, strength, or power. He persuades himself mentally that he is spiritually "superior" to his oppressors even as he succumbs to their tyranny and suppression. Lu Xun exposes Ah Q's extreme faults as symptomatic of the Chinese national character of his time. The ending of the piece – when Ah Q is carted off to execution for a minor crime – is equally poignant and satirical.

 

[TaiShang]

Crude price drop triggers major layoffs in US oil industry
Published time: December 27, 2014 12:51

Reuters / Jonathan Alcorn

Thousands of recently highly paid workers have been laid off after the oil price plummeted 50 percent in 2014. At least four American oil-producing states are already facing budget problems due to decreasing oil revenues.

The price plunge has affected petroleum production in all oil-extracting countries, including the US.

Currently cheap fuel is still believed to be providing an overall boost to the US economy, as consumers can spend less on gasoline and more on shopping and services. But for the American energy sector the future looks less bright. It’s effecting places like Alaska, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, the New York Times reports.

US oil experts recall the 1980s oil price downturn, accompanied by economic disasters around the globe and arguably becoming one of the causes of the fall of the Soviet Union. Some experts are positive and say America’s oil-producing states won’t suffer too much because they “diversified their economies.”

READ MORE: Oil producers to lose $1tn if price below $60 – Goldman Sachs

Reuters / Shannon Stapleton

This doesn’t apply to the state of Alaska. According to the NYT, approximately 90 percent of state’s budget is formed from oil revenues. Alaska’s government is considering a 50 percent capital-spending cut for bridges and roads in the face of the oil price drop, with Moody’s, the credit rating service, lowering Alaska’s credit outlook from stable to negative.

The state of Louisiana’s 2015-16 budget is going to be $1.4 billion short, with 162 state government positions already eliminated and more to be discontinued starting from January. Contracts and projects are being either reduced or frozen in state agencies. According to the state’s chief economist Greg Albrecht, for every $1 fall in price of an annual average barrel of oil, Louisiana loses $12 million.

For Texas, which has a far larger and more diversified economy than Louisiana, the oil price downturn is no good either. In just October and November Texas lost 2,300 oil and gas jobs, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week. Through the last half a year the state has been losing $83 million in potential revenue every day, the Greater Houston Partnership recently reported. They blamed this on crashing price of its West Texas Intermediate crude oil, which has depreciated to $54.73 per barrel this week, from more than $100 six months ago.

AFP Photo / David McNew

The situation in other oil-extracting states could be even worse. In a study published last year, the Council on Foreign Relations warned the largest job losses caused by sharp decline in oil prices are going to take place in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming, where the number of drilling rigs is decreasing.

The US oil industry has showed 50 percent employment growth since the recession officially ended in mid-2009, giving jobs to over 779,000 people as of October 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported. A total of 10 million jobs have been associated with the US oil and gas industry, Mark Mills, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, estimated.

Now according to Tom Runiewicz, a US industry economist at IHS Global Insight, if oil stays around $56 a barrel till the middle of the next year, companies providing services to oil and gas industry could lose 40,000 jobs by the end of 2015, while oil and gas equipment manufacturers could slash up to 6,000 jobs.

These workers can earn more than $1,700 a week, much higher than the average $848 a week payment for other workers, the WSJ reported. When experienced workers lose their highly paid jobs, they stop paying their bills.

There are also fears of a house-price slump. Fitch Ratings has already warned that with the price of oil continuing to plummet, home prices in Texas “may be unsustainable.”

***

Let's pray US oil producers and the Saudi Oil Company (the Kingdom) and its CEO (the King) would hold for at least another year with low oil prices since China needs to fill up SPRs. The advantage of filling up SPRs at cheaper price is much higher than assisting Russia and thereby deepening strategic partnership.

Exactly. China has long since eclipsed Russia economically but there's no condescension from China towards Russia or Russia towards China. I think NiceGuy is trying to understand what's going on but he's simply unable to comprehend the power dynamics between China and Russia no matter how hard he concentrates.

So he necessarily frames the Chinese/Russian relationship as one of master/slave because in the Viet experience, that's all they've ever known - Vietnam as a slave to everyone and anyone who comes along. Rather than view it as trolling, I tend to have pity for people from that poor downtrodden banana republic.

In their small worlds, Vietnamese and Indian (including that false flag Indian troll) wish to help the condensed media effort to create suspicion and misunderstanding between China and Russia, which is, at best, a poor attempt. As you day, it is probably due to bad personal experience and narrowness of worldview. When one is famous for being a vassal and the other is for being inefficient and corrupt, one would you expect?

Funny that those short-sighted Chinese members keep ranting like we are licking Russia's boot.

Russia is now buying a lot of time for us by distracting the US, so they deserve to get those bonuses from us.

Exactly. Just when the US seemed to get clear from the Middle East and concentrate on China, the ISIS emerged. And then this Ukraine. China needs time, and these incidents give plenty.

 

[NiceGuy]

In their small worlds, Vietnamese and Indian (including that false flag Indian troll) wish to help the condensed media effort to create suspicion and misunderstanding between China and Russia, which is, at best, a poor attempt. As you day, it is probably due to bad personal experience and narrowness of worldview. When one is famous for being a vassal and the other is for being inefficient and corrupt, one would you expect?
.

Then pls explain to me why Mr.Putin send RuAF to VN to patrol over SCS(east sea) ?? Does Mr.Putin wanna contain China's expansion in SCS(east sea) ?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

The typical person here does not feel bad because a bunch of oil companies aren't raking in gargantuan profits because oil is not at ~$100 barrel. The bottom line is when oil is low the majority are happy...and a few are not.

This was not a person people had sympathy for

$50 a barrel is NOT unreasonable. $100 is. If some states are taking the tax revenue of $100/barrel as the "norm" in their budgets then they won't be getting much sympathy either.

 

[Hindustani78]

Belarus to be first to preside in EEU | Politics | Headlines

MOSCOW, 23 December (BelTA) – Belarus will assume presidency in the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin said following the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of the heads of state on 23 December, BelTA has learned.

The Eurasian Economic Union will become operational on 1 January 2015. Thus, Belarus will be the first country to preside in the EEU.

Vladimir Putin informed that a substantial package of documents was signed at the session. These documents are designed to strengthen integration and streamline the work of the agencies of the EEU. The partners determined the list of services that will be included in the EEU common market as early as 1 January 2015. The list includes retail and wholesale trade, hospitality, public catering, construction services, agricultural services, etc.

Another two documents signed on 23 December provide that the common market of pharmaceutical and medical products will become operational in the EEU on 1 January 2016. Vladimir Putin noted that the common market of electric power will be launched in 2019 and the common market of oil and gas will become operational in 2025. The common market of finances is also on the agenda.

All in all, two dozen documents were signed at the session.

 

[Echo_419]

Belarus to be first to preside in EEU | Politics | Headlines

MOSCOW, 23 December (BelTA) – Belarus will assume presidency in the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin said following the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of the heads of state on 23 December, BelTA has learned.

The Eurasian Economic Union will become operational on 1 January 2015. Thus, Belarus will be the first country to preside in the EEU.

Vladimir Putin informed that a substantial package of documents was signed at the session. These documents are designed to strengthen integration and streamline the work of the agencies of the EEU. The partners determined the list of services that will be included in the EEU common market as early as 1 January 2015. The list includes retail and wholesale trade, hospitality, public catering, construction services, agricultural services, etc.

Another two documents signed on 23 December provide that the common market of pharmaceutical and medical products will become operational in the EEU on 1 January 2016. Vladimir Putin noted that the common market of electric power will be launched in 2019 and the common market of oil and gas will become operational in 2025. The common market of finances is also on the agenda.

All in all, two dozen documents were signed at the session.

We should also give a thought of Joining this Customs union

 

[Hindustani78]

We should also give a thought of Joining this Customs union

Belarus is expanding relations with both Iran and Turkey.

 

[Echo_419]

Belarus is expanding relations with both Iran and Turkey.

& it will also benefit by expanding relations with us

 

[Hindustani78]

& it will also benefit by expanding relations with us

There are areas where countries cant cross . Economy alliance and military alliance do have their limitations.

Turkey will adopt a delicate line

 

[TaiShang]

 

[xyxmt]

Good co-operation, but Russia never let China to become stronger than Russia.

Russia is big bro- China is small kid, thats how the game is set

militarily yes, economically reversed

The typical person here does not feel bad because a bunch of oil companies aren't raking in gargantuan profits because oil is not at ~$100 barrel. The bottom line is when oil is low the majority are happy...and a few are not.

This was not a person people had sympathy for
View attachment 179543

$50 a barrel is NOT unreasonable. $100 is. If some states are taking the tax revenue of $100/barrel as the "norm" in their budgets then they won't be getting much sympathy either.

this cannot go on for a long time because all Europeans states, Canada and many countries have gotten used to lavish spending money collected from taxing gasoline, so the gas prices goes down 50% means their tax collection goes down 50%...bad for many economies.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

militarily yes, economically reversed

Militarily, it is India and Vietnam who are heavily dependant on Russia, not China.

 

[xyxmt]

Militarily, it is India and Vietnam who are heavily dependant on Russia, not China.

key components on many hitech Chinese hardware also comes from Russia