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

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Not just foreign NGO, there are a lot of domestic NGO that receives funding from aboard, and they need to be regulated as well.
 
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Not just foreign NGO, there are a lot of domestic NGO that receives funding from aboard, and they need to be regulated as well.

Yes, when foreign NGOs are regulated, they simply outsource their dirty deals to domestic ones. Hopefully the new updated law will cover all required areas.
 
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No doubts, Russia has a great tourism potential maybe even the biggest on the globe but it is not a game changer.
 
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Didn't see this coming! The negotiation will be formidable in time & in intenisty, however, I think this move maybe a bait to force to Americans to rethink the sanctions, or the Saudis to cut production & raise price, I'm sure neither US or OPEC will not be pleased if China becomes a stakeholder in Rosneft. When an oil buyer becomes a stakeholder in an oil rich region it's never good news, lol.
 
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The American won't rethink the sanctions against Russia, as it would be a massive back-down. It is not going to happen.

The Saudi will not cut production. The last time they did it, they lost market share which they found it difficult to get back. Also, Saudi need the money as they have a big budget deficit this year.
 
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It seems Russia cant venture into any project or area alone itself... it needs the backing of Chinese in every case but i guess it is a good way of moving forward...
 
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America being the largest economy of the world has surplus budgets for any development venture. Russia can't compete with the US because of much smaller economy. However, combined efforts of China and Russia can enable them to compete with the US.
 
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The U.S. aims to secure its advantage in conventional battle for years to come

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The U.S. Air Force is developing a new bomber that promises to secure the U.S. advantage in modern warfare.

The next-generation long-range strike bomber, recently awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC, -0.25% for development, will not be designed to rely on as yet undeveloped technologies, as is so often the case with new aircraft and weaponry. Instead, the aircraft will combine and fully exploit existing advanced stealth technology, integrated software, ordnance and countermeasures.

In effect, the military is consolidating the best of its technology in one package. At the same time, the U.S. Air Force has decided to aggregate all of its bombers under a single, unified command, clearing the way to making bombers a more central part of its operations. Thus the new long-range strike bomber is poised to become a central pillar of the U.S. strategy to project its power throughout the globe.


Maintaining an edge in conventional warfare

The B-2, the latest bomber model currently in use by the U.S. Air Force, was developed nearly 20 years ago. Since that time, newer aircraft have incorporated the significant technological advancements that have been made since the B-2’s inception. Some of this technology has made its way into the United States’ B-52, B-1B and B-2 bomber fleets, but the new bomber model will bring all of these technologies together in one comprehensive design, making fuller use of each to better meet modern strategic and tactical needs. At the same time, the new bomber is designed to be especially easy to upgrade as more advanced technology emerges.

The next-generation bomber comes not a moment too soon. Although the United States’ current bombers will last for some time, they are rapidly losing their competitive edge against the aircraft developed by rapidly strengthening military powers such as China and Russia. And while the bulk of the current U.S. bomber force will have to be replaced by 2037, the U.S. Air Force expects Chinese technological advances to overtake the most modern B-2 bomber much sooner, perhaps as early as 2020. The introduction of the new long-range strike bomber — and in particular, its more advanced stealth technology — will therefore be critical to maintaining the U.S. advantage in conventional combat operations.

The network-centric approach

Apart from stealth technology, the new bomber also features modern sensor packages that provide a clearer picture of the battlefield. Sensors of this type have already been installed in several other U.S. military aircraft, and a range of tests by the U.S. Air Force have shown they can help accurately and independently identify and engage targets. During Operation Resultant Fury in 2004, perhaps one of the most significant of these tests, B-52 and B-1 bombers were able to sink multiple moving maritime targets. These demonstrations suggest that in an actual combat situation, aircraft could detect, engage and destroy enemy vessels with precision-guided munitions. And the advanced sensor packages that make this possible are an important part of the design for the new U.S. long-range strike bomber. They give the United States a technological edge that could become even more important in future conflicts. If, for instance, conflict arises with China in the Pacific someday, technology that allows the U.S. military to effectively strike maritime targets will become a powerful tool for the United States.

Operation Resultant Fury also publicly tested the U.S. ability to conduct “network-centric warfare,” an important concept in modern warfare dictating that countries should attempt to translate their information advantage into a competitive edge on the battlefield. To do so often requires broad task forces comprising several different moving parts that work in concert with each other, connected by an advanced and reliable network. The new bomber’s sensor packages could help make that happen. In the 2004 test, bombers coordinated with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planes, command and control aircraft, refueling tankers and fighter jets. Though it was the bombers that ultimately delivered the decisive blow that completed the mission, the real feat of the exercise was the fact that the military was able to successfully integrate information collected from sensors on such a broad array of platforms. Pulling all this information together allowed surveillance and command platforms to identify and track numerous mobile maritime targets and lead the striking aircraft directly to them.

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The advanced sensor packages on the new long-range strike bomber, then, will likely enable effective coordination with other vehicles during joint operations. The new bomber’s network will be integrated with already existing platforms, including a wide variety of unmanned aerial vehicles, which will make cooperation even smoother. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force’s broader objective is to develop its network-centric warfare capabilities in its other aircraft, including the F-35 fighter jet, effectively creating a wider web of sensors for the new bomber to integrate into. The easier it is for all these platforms to interact, the more effective each one becomes in the long run.

An asymmetric advantage

The latest bomber model could also create significant gains for the United States in asymmetric warfare. Bombers can spend a great deal of time flying over potential targets while carrying substantial amounts of ordnance. This offers a distinct advantage in conflicts against insurgencies and actors such as the Islamic State, which are often weaker than states in terms of traditional military power. For example, in the final months of 2014 and at the start of 2015, U.S. B-1B bombers played an important role in the battle to retake the Syrian city of Kobani from the Islamic State. With the help of refueling tankers, the bombers spent eight hours over the city expending their munitions in individual, precision-guided strikes against Islamic State fighters as they emerged. The long-range strike bomber will seek to improve upon these capabilities, both with its advanced sensor packages and with its potential to develop further into an unmanned platform. The aircraft would essentially be able to go anywhere in the world and remain in the air for as long as its ample ordnance lasts.

With its various advantages in asymmetric and maritime warfare, the new long-range bomber will play a central role in the United States’ projection of power abroad. Indeed, this has already been partially reflected in the recent restructuring of the U.S. Air Force. Since April, the United States has drawn all of its bomber aircraft under a single umbrella: the Global Strike Command. Prior to the reorganization, the Global Strike Command controlled nuclear-armed bomber aircraft and nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. The remaining bombers reported to the Air Combat Command.

Now, the Global Strike Command will be able to move beyond its nuclear role by assuming control over all long-range striking capability. The move to place all strategic bombers under their own separate command will likely raise the profile of the U.S. bomber force, paving the way for it to emerge as a distinct pillar of U.S. military might.'' MarketWatch - Stratfor

(I am not sure if it's already posted)
 
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ASEAN diplomats welcome China's One Belt, One Road initiative
China's One Belt and One Road initiative is in focus as the region gets set to host the ASEAN summit. Despite territorial disputes in the South China Sea, regional diplomats say they welcome China’s move.
  • By Jeremy Koh, Channel NewsAsia
  • POSTED: 16 Nov 2015 14:29

  • SHENZHEN, China: China has stepped up efforts to sell its ambitious One Belt and One Road initiative, which aims to create multiple economic corridors spanning more than 60 countries across the world.

Recently, the country invited China-based foreign diplomats to tour Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, together forming part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that falls under the One Belt and One Road initiative.

“We are very interested in China’s efforts to share its development model because, as you know, China’s economic miracle is something that has impressed everybody," said Ivan Frank Olea, Minister and consul from the Philippines embassy. "With this One Belt, One Road and Maritime Silk Road, they want to share their development model, as well as share prosperity around the region.”

For many years, China’s calls for regional connectivity has been echoed in Southeast Asia. Diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said that China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative can help to spur economic development in the region, especially since the bloc is launching an ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015.

The initiative aims to transform ASEAN into a single market and production base in order to boost the region's competitiveness and connectivity.

“This augurs very well with our masterplan on connectivity," said Magdalene Teo, Brunei Ambassador to China. "In fact I understand that Chinese senior officials and ASEAN senior officials are actively discussing a number of projects, a number of which Chinese has proposed in terms of enhancing connectivity between ASEAN and China.

Even though they have welcomed the initiative, several ASEAN diplomats have said they are still waiting for more details from China.

“Now we're still talking about the idea of maritime co-operation, maritime sector, how do we elevate the maritime co-operation. But until now, we don’t have any blueprint of the maritime co-operation itself, especially in terms of the Silk Road,” Third Secretary of the Indonesian embassy in Beijing Sri Remaytin said.

However, the proposed 21st Century Maritime Silk Road passes through regions where China has territorial disputes with neighbouring countries. Ties between the Philippines and China, for instance, have chilled in recent years - a result of overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Still, the Philippines says the two nations can still co-operate on the plan.

“Economic development should not be affected by geopolitical situation because economic development means the betterment of people in all regions concerned. So we hope to co-operate with our Chinese friends. We have co-existed with them peacefully for 1,000 years and we hope to do the same in the coming years,” Mr Ivan said.

But at least in private, some ASEAN diplomats have expressed their concerns the One Belt and One Road initiative could be part of Beijing’s push to assert itself as the region’s leader. So, they will be watching closely as more details are revealed.
 
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The American won't rethink the sanctions against Russia, as it would be a massive back-down. It is not going to happen.

The Saudi will not cut production. The last time they did it, they lost market share which they found it difficult to get back. Also, Saudi need the money as they have a big budget deficit this year.

True also. Russians are master chess players, if they get us as a stakeholder, we will have endeavor to alleviate the sanctions imposed on Rosneft. That would bring us into the direct conflict with American & Saudi agenda...
 
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Russian Economic Development Minister has said Moscow is ready to sell 19.5 percent of its shares in Rosneft in 2016 - including to China


Today Russia needs but I believe, Russia is already alarmed and will be worse in long term about Chinese achievements.
 
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Money talks, bullsh*t walks.

Of course, ASEAN will welcome China's OBOR initiative, knowing that China has a big fat wallet.

When you have lots of money, friends sprout from everywhere.

These so-called "friends" are willing to overlook their grievances.

We may not like it, but I am afraid this is the reality.
 
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