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

[TaiShang]

China, Russia voice serious concern over THAAD deployment in South Korea
Source:Xinhua Published: 2016-7-29

China and Russia on Thursday voiced serious concern over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea.

At a fourth meeting on Northeast Asia security held in Moscow, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Kong Xuanyou and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov noted that such a unilateral and non-constructive action taken by the US brings negative effects to the strategic balance, security and stability of the region and the world.

The deployment of the advanced US missile defense system in South Korea is just a part of Washington's global anti-missile scheme, which clearly contradicts with the aims claimed by the US and South Korean governments, the two officials noted.

Expressing the firm opposition to issues relevant to the THAAD deployment, both sides agreed to enhance coordination in order to better cope with the negative developments, also to protect the strategic security of China, Russia and other regional countries.

Under the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Russia would further strengthen communications and coordinations based on the joint statement on strengthening global strategic stability, signed in June by leaders of the two countries, with a view to protect each other's interests, especially the interest in strategic stability, through the most reliable and effective ways.

Kong and Morgulov also said the two countries would continue pushing forward the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula through dialogues and negotiations, in particular the irreplaceable platform of Six Party Talks.

To realize denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary to reduce military and political tensions on the peninsula, to downscale the military drills held in the region and thus to build mutual trust, the two officials added.

They also urged both South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resume dialogues to achieve inter-Korean reconciliation and create a sound environment for development on the Korean Peninsula.

Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington announced the agreement to install one THAAD battery in Seongju, a county some 250 km southeast of the South Korean capital city, by the end of next year, as one way to counter the nuclear and missile threats posed by the DPRK.

China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to the THAAD deployment in South Korean territory as it damaged China's security interests and broke a strategic balance in the region, while Russia indicated a military response by deploying a missile unit in the Far Eastern region.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It would be a big achievement just to get the Admiral Kuznetsov to the SCS. I don't even think it has ever seen the Indian or Pacific Oceans. The battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov is being repaired. so with their big ships out I guess they could send a regular cruiser like the Varyag.

light cruiser Varyag in San Francisco

 

[cnleio]

Congratulate U.S ~ push China to Russia together & push Russia to China together.

Well done, Uncle SAM !

 

[ahojunk]

China's accession to TIR to boost 'Belt and Road' projects
By Yuan Can (People's Daily Online) 17:37, July 28, 2016

China has become the 70th country to ratify the United Nation's Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention, the global standard for international freight customs transit.

The application of the TIR system will provide China with the opportunity to unify its exports under a single, simplified transit procedure to EU countries for all modes of transport. Chinese freight containers will travel all the way to Ireland without being opened for customs checks. The international guarantee scheme is a first step toward putting the legal framework of the Belt and Road Initiative into action.

"China’s accession to the TIR Convention will open new, efficient and faster transport opportunities and transport routes between China and Europe. It can become a real game changer for international trade and is a strong contribution to the Chinese vision for 'One Road, One Belt,'" said United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) executive secretary Christian Friis Bach.

China's accession to TIR is closely related to the country's promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, said Zhang Guihong, executive dean of the U.N. Studies Center of Fudan University, in an interview with thepaper.cn.

Delivering his keynote speech at the Boao Asia Forum on March 29, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed that the "One Belt, One Road" project is to generate over $2.5 trillion in trade within 10 years.

The average travel period for Chinese freight containers from China to Europe will be shortened from the current 28 days to just one or two weeks, said UNECE spokesperson, Jean Rodriguez.

The United Nations Secretary-General has confirmed that the TIR Convention will come into effect in China on Jan. 5, 2017.

 

[Gibbs]

Great thread.. Tks @ahojunk .. Global economic and political power is returning to the east, It's just a matter of time, History is just repeating itself.

 

[ahojunk]

This is indeed good news. More than 2,000 already.

--------
2,000-passage benchmark passed by China-Europe freight train service
(People's Daily Online) 17:38, July 22, 2016


Equipped with 47 carriages carrying 94 containers, the X8024 Asia-Europe freight train departed for Madrid from the city of Yiwu on July 21. The departure was a significant one, as it brought the number of China-Europe train journeys to the milestone of 2,000.

Between the departure of the first train and the 500th, four years passed; between number 501 and number 1,000, the time was reduced to a mere seven months. From 1,001 to 1,500? Just five months. And only three and a half months passed between 1,501 and 2000.

In the past several years, China Railway Corporation (CRC) has viewed China-Europe passages as an important signifier. The company considered those numbers while planning its One Belt, One Road initiative, and also while improving communication with local governments along the lines.

The number and scope of China-Europe freight train service are both growing. In 2015, the number of trains doing China-Europe routes more than doubled. In the first half of 2016, year-on-year growth was 150 percent. In the new route map released on May 15, 13 lines had been added. The number of lines is now 39 in total, which significantly expands the area that was previously covered. The trains travel to eight different European countries and over a dozen cities.

To ensure timeliness, CRC contracted a variety of experts to supervise container allocation, general operations, collection and transfers. As a result, the current on-time rate is nearly 100 percent.

The cost of logistics keeps decreasing, and CRC offers a preferential policy for freight. The corporation sent research teams to Poland, Germany and Lithuania to learn about overseas commodity supplies. Trains have also begun delivering commodities like clothing, wine, furniture and automobile parts.

As operation of the China-Europe passages is maturing, these routes are becoming a safe, fast and environmentally friendly option. Governments and corporations are both taking notice, and growth is unlikely to slow any time soon.

 

[Mangus Ortus Novem]

@ahojunk Thanks for keeping us posted on OBOR developments.

The most important initiative in the world. Yet enjoys so little attention here on the PDF.

Keep up the good news coming.

OBOR = Harmony under the Heavens

 

[TaiShang]

@ahojunk Thanks for keeping us posted on OBOR developments.

The most important initiative in the world. Yet enjoys so little attention here on the PDF.

Keep up the good news coming.

OBOR = Harmony under the Heavens

Academic research on OBOR is just taking hold. I can tell by first hand experience (working on a research project on OBOR with my supervisor now) that there is a lot of research opportunity for young and aspiring researchers who wish to have a place in academia.

Rise of new powers creates new social realities. Researchers can seek and develop new theories from them. Times of crisis and explosive growth/change always offer great offerings to philosophers.

We may look at the OBOR from such perspective, as well.

 

[Mangus Ortus Novem]

Academic research on OBOR is just taking hold. I can tell by first hand experience (working on a research project on OBOR with my supervisor now) that there is a lot of research opportunity for young and aspiring researchers who wish to have a place in academia.

Rise of new powers creates new social realities. Researchers can seek and develop new theories from them. Times of crisis and explosive growth/change always offer great offerings to philosophers.

We may look at the OBOR from such perspective, as well.

We, indeed, need to look at OBOR from a philosophic perspective.

It is such a vastly different perspective/paradigm that directly challenges the emperial dynamic of last 500 years.

Win-win paradigm has never been offered before in history in such a formate or at such a scale.

Community of Prosperity is directly linked to the Harmony under the Heavens.

A proper dialectic / a structured discourse will produce a rich framework of thinking...and of course policy development as well.

Young people with organised mind, as yourself, must study and develop ideas much further.

What I miss in the OBOR paradigm/project is a compelling narrative.

We lack communication skils.

 

[yantong1980]

This is not about 'bad boy Kim' anymore, SK know this, this is geopolitical provocation. What China answer?

 

[yantong1980]

Glad to hear that, this is going to be one h*ll of message.

 

[Mangus Ortus Novem]

SK is rather unwise to let itself be used like this.

The US is a guest. China, Russia and Korea share border.

Have been there for enternity and will there for equally long.

The US will leave one day.

What is SK or JP are going to do then?

Those who follow the Way, act wisely.

SK is becoming a mystery these days.

 

[terranMarine]

This is not about 'bad boy Kim' anymore, SK know this, this is geopolitical provocation. What China answer?

South Korea shall be punished, China will have to look at the options on the table e.g. trade could be influenced or deployment of more military equipment facing SK. One way or the other China must make the South Koreans feel the pain.

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

THAAD is against the national security of both China and Russia so we have to respond to the imminent and direct threat without hesitation and as a team

 

[xunzi]

Once we finished the SCS development, Russian ships are welcome to visit to rest in the beauty of SCS modern island.