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

[Shotgunner51]

Good news!

 

[TaiShang]

West Underestimates Sino- Russian Alliance, Neglects Historical Lessons

09:55 27.10.2015

US hawks and neocons are concerned about Russia's further rapprochement with China, fearing that it could evolve into a powerful military alliance; should the US beware of the "Eurasian colossus?"

Western geostrategists are closely watching the process of Sino-Russian rapprochement: some US skeptics are expressing doubts that the alliance has a bright future; other Western observers are beating drums over increasing cooperation between the Dragon and the Bear.

Interestingly enough, Chinese geostrategists in their turn are watching their watchers, analyzing scrupulously Western reports on Sino-Russian relations, Lyle J. Goldstein, Associate Professor in the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) at the US Naval War College in Newport, noted.

"Signs of a steadily enhancing Russia-China partnership are quite readily visible. Reciprocal visits by the two Presidents to observe one another's victory celebrations (and the conspicuous lack of Western leaders at either event) seemed to demonstrate a shared contemporary isolation as well as the common history of suffering catastrophic losses in the enormous conflagration of the Second World War," Professor Goldstein wrote in his article for The National Interest.

Professor Goldstein noted that China and Russia currently have lots of shared political interests. A major turning point for Sino-Russian rapprochement was the NATO intervention in Libya in 2011, the professor remarked, citing Chinese analysts. The so-called "Arab Spring" and Ukrainian February coup of 2014 have accelerated the rapprochement process tremendously, he added.

"Additional evidence, of course, is that Putin’s first trip abroad after assuming the Russian Presidency again in 2012 was China, while the opposite journey was made as Xi’s inaugural journey abroad as Chinese President back in 2013," Goldstein underscored.

The professor hinted at the fact both China and Russia have a "legacy of hostility and mistrust" originating from the mid-Cold War period. According to Goldstein, this mistrust may potentially become a stumbling block in the way of Sino-Russian collaboration.

On the other hand the professor underscored that some important historical events involving China and Russia remain largely neglected by Western political analysts.

Citing Chinese research, Goldstein wrote: "In a chapter of WWII that is rarely discussed in the West, this article explains that Moscow did impressively provide China with almost 1,000 aircraft (and accompanying volunteer pilots) in the four years after the Nanjing Massacre in December 1937."

And that is not all. In addition to Goldstein's narrative it should be noted that Soviet Russia also contributed a lot to the emergence of the Chinese Communist Party and the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. The USSR provided the Chinese Communists and their supporters with military, technological and humanitarian assistance paving the way for the Party's victory over the Kuomintang (armed and supported by the US) during the Chinese Civil War.

Quoting Chinese analysts, the professor stressed that they regard most Western analyses on Sino-Russian relations as "surficial in nature and also rather pessimistic." Moreover, Chinese authors observe that "the West is always aiming to 'use China to pin down Russia and to employ Russia to pin down China …'," Goldstein added.

"It is not at all clear, as is often suggested, that antagonism is the 'natural state' of affairs in China-Russia relations.The dual combination of the 'rebalance,' in tandem with the West’s still evolving strategic response to the Ukraine Crisis, may yet prove sufficient to solidify a geopolitically significant Eurasian counterpoise," Goldstein concluded.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

original sputnik link (since the OP never does it)
West Underestimates Sino-Russian Alliance, Neglects Historical Lessons

 

[TaiShang]

McCain Ranting and Raving Over US-Russian Flights Safety Deal in Syria

25.10.2015

The recent Russo-American agreement which aims to "de-conflict" the airspace over Syria has evidently hit a raw nerve in US Senator John McCain.

and Moscow concluded an agreement aiming at "de-conflicting" Syria's airspace in order to avoid dangerous incidents and accidents between the US and Russian Air Forces.

"This 'de-confliction' agreement with Russia means that the United States will now be watching and moving out of the way while Russian aircraft, together with Syrian, Iranian, and Hezbollah ground forces, attack and kill brave young Syrians, many of whom our country has supported and encouraged to fight back against a brutal dictator [Bashar al-Assad]," McCain said in an official statement.

"This is not only self-defeating and harmful to our national interests; it is immoral," he proceeded, "This decision will reverberate ominously across the Middle East at a time when our friends increasingly do not trust us and our enemies do not feel deterred by us."

While Senator McCain continues his ranting and raving, US journalist Daniel Larison points to the fact that the agreement signed by Russia and the US actually lessens the risks to US pilots flying over Syria.

"McCain is bound to be annoyed by the agreement because it represents another step away from the crazy 'no-fly zone' option that he and other Syria hawks support. It is revealing that McCain objects so strenuously to an agreement that lessens the risks to US pilots flying over Syria," Larison wrote in his latest piece for The American Conservative.

"I doubt many Americans would find that to be either immoral or harmful," the journalist stressed.

Larison admitted that indeed Washington's behavior in Syria has been immoral but it is not related to the agreement.

By supporting and encouraging its proxies in Syria the US government "has created an absurd situation": it "has contributed to a conflict in which it has nothing at stake while setting those proxies up for failure."

Larison quoted US columnist Adam Elkus, who nailed it by saying that "there is something very unjust and disturbing in the way in which the United States can encourage men to risk their lives under the false hope that Uncle Sam will be with them the whole way."

Indeed, there is something really immoral in the US' proxy warfare, where people are being used like pawns in the Washington political establishment's grand chess game.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

China is still a communist country, while Russia is an ex-communist country.

However, just like China, Putin's Russia currently still insists for a stronger state-owned economy as the 1990s privatization and total free market doctrine has created the biggest geopolitical disaster in the 20th century and a total tragedy for the Russian people.

Therefore, the capitalist USA doesn't like those state-capitalist countries such as China and Russia, and in result its belligerent policy has eventually pushed these two giants together.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

original sputnik link (since the OP never does it)
West Underestimates Sino-Russian Alliance, Neglects Historical Lessons

Much more valuable than anything that comes out of the mouth of America.

 

[TaiShang]

China is still a communist country, while Russia is an ex-communist country.

However, just like China, Putin's Russia currently still insists for a stronger state-owned economy as the 1990s privatization and total free market doctrine has created the biggest geopolitical disaster in the 20th century and a total tragedy for the Russian people.

Therefore, the capitalist USA doesn't like those state-capitalist countries such as China and Russia, and in result its belligerent policy has eventually pushed these two giants together.

President Putin has done some strategic work by re-nationalizing key sectors and putting US-capitalist oligarchs behind the bars.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Much more valuable than anything that comes out of the mouth of America.

So why does he fear posting original links.
The reason people should post original links is so you can check for "creative editing" of the article....which I have spotted him doing in the past.

Example:
Local attraction: young Chinese no longer staying overseas after graduating from foreign universitie

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

President Putin has done some strategic work by re-nationalizing key sectors and putting US-capitalist oligarchs behind the bars.

That's why Putin is named as the savior by his people.

Without him, Russia will just become another Ukraine.

 

[TaiShang]

Much more valuable than anything that comes out of the mouth of America.

Who believes in regime friendly fascist mouthpieces?

No wonder Russia Today is a champion in social media reference.

Unmasking the religio-fascist regime:

Pentagon Used Missionaries as Spies to Penetrate North Korea

21:03 26.10.2015

A highly classified Pentagon intelligence operation ran a network of spies in North Korea from 2004 to 2012 under the cover of a US-based Korean Christian missionary group, US media reports revealed on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Hiramine was the Colorado-based founder of a multimillion-dollar humanitarian movement and non-governmental organization called the Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG).

“[Evangelical Christian leader Kay Hiramine] was a Pentagon spy whose NGO [non-governmental organization] was funded through a highly classified Defense Department program,” according to a report published in The Intercept.

However, the group really operated under a secret Defense Department program that began in December 2004 and lasted through most of President Barack Obama’s first term, the report said.

“[The program] was the brainchild of a senior Defense Department intelligence official of the Bush administration, Lt. Gen. William ‘Jerry’ Boykin… an evangelical Christian [who]… settled on the ruse of the NGO as he was seeking new… ways to penetrate North Korea,” the report explained.

In 2003, Boykin received widespread criticism for publicly making militant hostile statements about Islam, the report noted.

“North Korea was the most difficult intelligence target for the United State. But Hiramine’s NGO, by offering humanitarian aid to the country’s desperate population, was able to go where others could not,” The Intercept said.

Hiramine did not respond to requests for comment and neither did any of its senior colleagues, according to the report.

The Intercept said its expose was the result of a month-long investigation during which it interviewed more than a dozen current and former military and intelligence officials, humanitarian aid workers, missionaries, US officials and former HISG staffers.

The use of HISG for espionage was “beyond the pale” of what the US government should be allowed to do, Sam Worthington, president of Inter Action, an association of nearly 200 American NGOs, told The Intercept.

“It is unacceptable that the Pentagon or any other US agency use nonprofits for intelligence gathering. It is a violation of the basic trust between the US government and its civic sector,” he said.

A former US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Intercept that the Defense Department provided at least $15 million to HISG over the course of the program through these revenue streams.

 

[TaiShang]

Whether they be missionaries, news reporters, doctors, English teachers...they can all be spies. Chinese government have not improved in this area by the fact that they have not banned foreign NGO yet. Even the "low" IQ Hindu government already passed laws to make foreign NGO's operating in India a pain in the ***.

I am not sure the new NGO law has passed or not.

It was being deliberated when I last heard. @AndrewJin , @cirr , @cnleio ? Any info?

I hope the law will be passed anytime soon.

In my opinion, on this issue, China should adopt measures copied from Mr. Putin's playbook.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

In my opinion, on this issue, China should adopt measures copied from Mr. Putin's playbook.

Absolutely yes.

Putin understands national security. We should learn from him when it comes to national security matters, and he should learn from us when it comes to economic matters. This way we can both become stronger.

 

[TaiShang]

Trade, Trains and E-commerce Link China with Russia

Nearly 10,000 business people from around the world attended the 2nd annual China-Russia Expo in Harbin

Despite challenges, China continues to improve bilateral relations, via better diplomacy, trade and economic cooperation deals. Earlier this month, Harbin, capital of Helongjiang province, hosted the 2nd annual China-Russia Expo.

Nearly 10,000 business people from around the world were in attendance. Chinese and Russian business representatives gathered to discuss potential collaboration in the fields of electro-mechanical production, railways, forestry reserves, technical standards, mining, finance and tourism, as reported by ECNS (English-language China News Service).

All aboard Wuhan-Moscow cargo train

The expo highlighted stronger trade ties, which would mean the necessity for significant logistics upgrades. Accordingly last Saturday, a cargo freight train service between central China's Hubei province and Russia was launched. The 41-cars train departed from Wuhan to embark on a 9,779 km., 12-days-long journey to Moscow.

The train was loaded with goods mainly from Wuhan's industrial zone with items including machinery and electronics devices, while on its return trip, the train is expected to carry back Russian timber.

Wu Guang-ming, general manager of the Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd., pointed out that Chinese railways have boosted long-haul freight service to Europe through northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, starting in April 2014.

Mongolia, located between China and Russia, can expect to experience more trade traffic flowing through the country.

China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor

Mongolia stands to gain substantial benefits from rising trade and economic cooperation between Beijing and Moscow. The three nations are planning to construct an economic corridor to enhance cross-border transportation, communications and financial networks in the region.

Mongolia could witness a surge in tourism as well. The 1st China-Mongolia Expo was held last week in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Government officials have made agreements to initiate a China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor and to promote cross-border tourism.

10 projects, valued at over 1.4bn yuan ($US220 million) were signed, which is expected to jumpstart cross-border tourism route development, tourism personnel training along with hotels and resorts construction.

“Cross-border tourism is an important platform of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor,” Wei Guonan, head of the Inner Mongolia Tourism Administration, told Xinhua news.

E-commerce brings mutual benefits

China and Mongolia have helped Russia overcome its current difficult economic conditions. Additionally, China's e-commerce giants - particularly Alibaba - are providing online platforms for Russian traders to take advantage of the ruble’s devaluation.

According to China Economic Net, organic Russian food is growing in popularity with Chinese consumers. Wang Jiang-peng, general manager of Eshanghui, a private Russian food e-commerce firm, has already begun to cash in.

“Our WeChat platform was launched in mid-September and we now boast more than 800 traders distributing Russian goods,” Wang said. “Our daily sales volume hit more than 100,000 yuan ($US 15,762) within 10 days.”

The recent introduction in Shanghai of the China International Payments System (CIPS) would make it easier for cross-border funds to get bankwired into bank accounts in China, which is creating an added bonus for Russian e-commerce retailers and consumers.

Looking Far East and beyond

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has restructured the national economy to overcome recent market disruptions. He's focusing on the Far East to boost trade, while Russia's eastern region remains sparsely populated but rich in natural resources and in closer proximity with a prosperous China.

The Russian port city Vladivostok could be transformed into a vital link for rising China-Russia trade and business deals, which can set the tone for a shared happiness.

 

[Max Khan]

China and Mongolia have helped Russia overcome its current difficult economic conditions.
Really?! The author of this article must be joking. Check russian economical data, situation is worsening.

 

[cnleio]

I am not sure the new NGO law has passed or not.

It was being deliberated when I last heard. @AndrewJin , @cirr , @cnleio ? Any info?

I hope the law will be passed anytime soon.

In my opinion, on this issue, China should adopt measures copied from Mr. Putin's playbook.

As far as i read news, the new China NGO law 《境外非政府组织管理法》still being deliberated, not deliver to Chinas National Peoples Congress yet.
中国首次为境外非政府组织专门立法
美英德总领事忧虑中国境外NGO管理法 徐显明：大可不必
目前全国人大常委会正在制定《境外非政府组织管理法》
希望境外NGO自觉遵守中国法律，《境外非政府组织管理法》将提供便利和服务