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

[Azeri440]

Hence the argument that the purpose of building a port is to by-pass Turkey. Otherwise, land connection via Turkey into Europe would suffice.

The fact that a major port is being built is very interesting.

Chinese strategy is to develop multiple routes and not rely on a single route, but time will tell how it will all play out in few years.

 

[GeraltofRivia]

Chinese strategy is to develop multiple routes and not rely on a single route, but time will tell how it will all play out in few years.

I suppose the reason of having multiple routes is not just for transportation purpose, more importantly the intention is that they will facilitate economic growth along multiple corridors. A rich friend is a happy friend!

 

[TaiShang]

This is great development! looking forward to linking it up from coast to coast!

The Silk Road being a multinational development project, China has to take into consideration many factors, including geopolitics. Currently and in the foreseeable future, staying away from Turkey make more sense. Hence the heavy concentration on the routes that by-passes Turkey.

This is in no way a hostile position, it is the pragmatic position. Turkey can still benefit from it but definitely not as much as it would ideally have.

The port being built in Georgia will be quite immense, meeting the needs of increased trade many many years to come. This is a big score on part of the Georgian leadership.

 

[Shotgunner51]

yes, and the cargo goes through Azerbaijan to Georgia

both ports in Azerbaijan and Georgia are pretty much being built at the same speed and similar capacity, by the time Georgian port is completed, other infrastructure projects in the region will also be completed.

Good to know, check these progress

China to send new test trains via TITR
By Rashid Shirinov

Railways agencies of Azerbaijan and China agreed to send another five test container trains on the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route (TITR) through Azerbaijan.

Nadir Azmammadov, the spokesperson for Azerbaijan Railways announced about this while talking to Trend on October 25.

He noted that the cooperation between the railways of Azerbaijan and China is being expanded.

The issue of boosting the cooperation was mulled in China, as Head of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov visits Chengdu city to meet with Chen Zhongwei, Director of the municipal port and logistics center of the city, and Fan Yun, Director of international rail services of Chengdu.

The sides discussed economic opportunities, export potential of China’s Sichuan province and the routes for export of local goods to Europe, as well as the opportunities of TITR.

The Chinese side expressed its interest in TITR and desire to create a regional hub in Azerbaijan, given the country’s favorable geographical location.

Chinese partners also noted that with a view to increase trade with such countries as Iran, Turkey, and countries of southern Europe, they are going to arrange dispatch of cargo trains through Azerbaijan in the framework of One Belt, One Road project, Azmammadov said.

This project involves the use of TITR, and increase of trains' number.

Hence, the parties came to an agreement on sending five test container trains on TITR until the end of the year, as well as decided to hold next bilateral meeting in Baku.

The Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is designed to provide transport connections between the East and West of Eurasia, runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then to Europe via Turkey and Ukraine. The route was launched with the establishment of its Coordinating Committee in October 2013. The first test container train from China arrived at the Baku International Sea Trade Port on August 3, 2015.

The agreement to create the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Consortium was signed in April 2016 in Baku by the railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.

In January, 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine decided to apply the competitive feed-in tariffs for cargo transportation via the TITR. Single competitive rate was introduced in the framework of the route starting from June 1, 2016 with the view to reduce the costs of international cargo transportation.

About 300,000-400,000 containers are expected to be transported via the Trans-Caspian international transport route by 2020, bringing huge financial profits to Azerbaijan. Growing interest in the transport infrastructures passing through Azerbaijan's territory is expected to make the country a major transport hub in the region.

Source: https://defence.pk/threads/one-belt-one-road-news-info-analysis.349603/page-401#ixzz4S3Ai7z3r

​

China interested in creation of transport hub in Azerbaijan (PHOTO)
25 October 2016 19:59 (UTC+04:00)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 25
By Maksim Tsurkov – Trend:

Railway authorities of Azerbaijan and China have agreed to send five more test container trains via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route through Azerbaijan, head of the press service of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Nadir Azmammadov told Trend Oct. 25.

He said the expansion of cooperation between the railway authorities of the two countries continues.

“Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov held a meeting in China’s Chengdu with director of the city’s municipal port and logistics office, as well as director of the city’s international railway service,” said Azmammadov.

The sides discussed economic opportunities, the export potential of Chinese province of Sichuan, routes for export of goods produced in Sichuan to Europe, as well as opportunities of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, Azmammadov added.

The Chinese side expressed its interest in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the desire to create a regional hub in Azerbaijan, given its geographical location.

“The Chinese partners noted that in order to increase trade turnover with such countries as Iran, Turkey and the countries of southern Europe, they are going to organize the shipment of freight trains through Azerbaijan within the ‘One Belt, One Road’ project,” said Azmammadov.

“The project involves using the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, as well as increasing the number of trains on it,” he added.

Azmammadov said the parties came to an agreement on sending five test container trains via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route before late 2016, and also decided to hold the next bilateral meeting in Baku.

The agreement to create the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Consortium was signed in April in Baku by the railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan.

New competitive tariffs were introduced for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route on June 1, 2016.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then through Turkey and Ukraine to Europe.

Source: https://defence.pk/threads/one-belt-one-road-news-info-analysis.349603/page-401#ixzz4S3BCm2z0

 

[Zulkarneyn]

Bullocks. West Asia and East Europe is almost entirey dependant on Turkish economy as the biggest economy in that part of the world. Whether China decides to build train/sea routes via Turkey or not is not going to significantly affect Turkey's current and prosptective role in its region. Turkey is still the second largest NATO power and in the G20 and regional power. That a proxy war is ongoing in Syria isn't going to affect Turkey's current rise in terms of Geopolitical and Economical rise.

Look at that map again almost all Central Asian countries are Turkic, who have deep cultural, academical, economical and political bonds with Turkey

Thanks god ignorant comments uttered in this thread isn't shared by the upper CPC experts.

 

[TaiShang]

Bullocks. West Asia and East Europe is almost entirey dependant on Turkish economy as the biggest economy in that part of the world. Whether China decides to build train/sea routes via Turkey or not is not going to significantly affect Turkey's current and prosptective role in its region. Turkey is still the second largest NATO power and in the G20 and regional power. That a proxy war is ongoing in Syria isn't going to affect Turkey's current rise in terms of Geopolitical and Economical rise.

Look at that map again almost all Central Asian countries are Turkic, who have deep cultural, academical, economical and political bonds with Turkey

Thanks god ignorant comments uttered in this thread isn't shared by the upper CPC experts.

You misunderstood the entire thread. We are not talking about Silk Road's impact on Turkey's future role in the region.

The ground reality is that there have been over 40 rail lines and countless road-lines extending to Europe and none (zero) passes through Turkey.

China is building a deep port (twice as big as any ports Turkey has) in Georgia, not in Turkey, for a reason.

This must be due to a calculated move by the very policy makers in the Chinese government (there is no such thing as CPC experts).

I am not interested how important Turkey is by itself. Especially the NATO part is in fact a good reason for China to avoid Turkey.

I am not saying Turkey is not important. It may be. But, so far, within the context of the Silk Road, Turkey has been sidelined and by-passed, which I find extremely interesting.

 

[Zulkarneyn]

You misunderstood the entire thread. We are not talking about Silk Road's impact on Turkey's future role in the region.

The ground reality is that there have been over 40 rail lines and countless road-lines extending to Europe and none (zero) passes through Turkey.

China is building a deep port (twice as big as any ports Turkey has) in Georgia, not in Turkey, for a reason.

This must be due to a calculated move by the very policy makers in the Chinese government (there is no such thing as CPC experts).

I am not interested how important Turkey is by itself. Especially the NATO part is in fact a good reason for China to avoid Turkey.

I am not saying Turkey is not important. It may be. But, so far, within the context of the Silk Road, Turkey has been sidelined and by-passed, which I find extremely interesting.

Could it be that China has opted for a major port in Georgia due to it geographical location (Black Sea), it's closer to China and it makes no sense to build a port to the Black Sea in Turkey as these exist already. Furthermore, it's infeasible and almost impossible for a foreign nation to build ports in Turkey - (in a hypothetical case China built a port in Turkey, Turkish authorites wouldn't allow any Chinese interference in its operation), as Turkey is already capable and has been building ports for centuries on our own terms.

In other words none bypasses Turkey, China makes the most of utilizing its potential in an underdeveloped poor country that desires foreign investments in any form and shape (in this case giving much freedom to Chinese construction firms, followed by possible Chinese oil/gas giant companies inside their borders). The exact same way China operates in poor countries in Africa that desires investment even at the expense of selling land and rights at a minimum or no price at all.

In other words China opts for the long term game, to be exact this is a win/win (positive sum game) situation for both countries in many respects, but it happens so due to Georgia's poor situation, the exact same way with African nations and China.

 

[Shotgunner51]

Take a look at the map of Eurasia.

View attachment 358147

Turkey appears to be, by dialectical super forces, placed at a critical geographic location in providing a bridge between East Asia and Europe, especially the Mediterranean Europe.

Thus, it should be advantageous in the New Silk Road expansion. However, so far, China has established strong land connections with Europe via the Northern Eurasian Corridor, having direct access to Western Europe through Central Asia, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Now China has over 40 rail lines toward Western Europe, consolidated into three major rail linkages.

The maritime linkage to Europe, however, is still the big question.

Turkey has little relevance in land connection but, in theory, it should have big advantage as far as the maritime connection to Western Europe is concerned.

But it happens not to be the case and, as I argue, it won't be the case for various geopolitical and historical reasons.

So what is the alternative New Silk Road route that by-passes Turkey?

Now, look again at the map above and find Georgia.

China has been building a deep sea port in Anaklia, west of Georgia, which is said to be twice as big in capacity than Turkish ports, and will include FTZs and other amenities.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshe...a-port-set-to-transform-georgia/#6b7f06a03f47

View attachment 358148

When complete, cargoes will be delivered by rail to the port and, from there, will be loaded onto vessels to be delivered to European destinations via the Black Sea.

How to by pass Turkey? By establishing a ferry and ro-ro ships between Anaklia in Georgia and Constanta in Romania. This is the northern by-pass route.

Another by-pass route is via Cyprus. China (COSCO) plans to operate a port there.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-01/29/content_23301148.htm

"Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a visit to Nicosia last month that China is interested in operating Cypriot ports and wants to help turn the eastern Mediterranean island nation into a regional shipping hub."

I think what remains to Turkey is to urgently reconfigure its foreign policy priorities and make itself a peninsula of stability in the region, from which the region becomes stabilized. This is hard work and what has been destroyed in the region over the past five years cannot be rebuilt in less than 10 years.

But, the ultimate result may worth the effort.

Please allow me for different opinion. I think the design is a result of optimization of a number of factors, from financial to logistics, but no political motive, no intention to by-pass any specific nation. There is no enemy state in the region.

 

[TaiShang]

Could it be that China has opted for a major port in Georgia due to it geographical location (Black Sea), it's closer to China and it makes no sense to build a port to the Black Sea in Turkey as these exist already. Furthermore, it's infeasible and almost impossible for a foreign nation to build ports in Turkey - (in a hypothetical case China built a port in Turkey, Turkish authorites wouldn't allow any Chinese interference in its operation), as Turkey is already capable and has been building ports for centuries on our own terms.

Hasn't Turkey leased ports to major groups from the Gulf, for example, Dubai, and has been operating those ports for many years?

http://www.dpworld.com.tr/

Nonetheless, the inability to build a port in Turkey may be one of the reasons. This still does not explain the preference to carry the goods to Romania on the other side of the Black Sea and then into Europe.

In other words China opts for the long term game, to be exact this is a win/win (positive sum game) situation for both countries in many respects, but it happens so due to Georgia's poor situation, the exact same way with African nations and China.

Georgia benefits from it as much as, say, Greece or Cyprus benefits from China's port development. China built and now operates one of Europe's ten largest ports in Greece.

Georgia, being poor and developing is playing the long game in the right way and it may eventually be a major hub for China's goods and services directed at Europe.

In other words none bypasses Turkey, China makes the most of utilizing its potential in an underdeveloped poor country that desires foreign investments in any form and shape (in this case giving much freedom to Chinese construction firms, followed by possible Chinese oil/gas giant companies inside their borders). The exact same way China operates in poor countries in Africa that desires investment even at the expense of selling land and rights at a minimum or no price at all.

China being a major developing country is a fact repeated daily by the government at every level. Hence, China's interaction with the rest of the world, including Africa, is qualitatively different from that of other countries, including Turkey.

For Silk Road investment in Africa, here is a brief list of major projects in Africa (completed and ongoing).

 

[Zulkarneyn]

Hasn't Turkey leased ports to major groups from the Gulf, for example, Dubai, and has been operating those ports for many years?

http://www.dpworld.com.tr/

Nonetheless, the inability to build a port in Turkey may be one of the reasons. This still does not explain the preference to carry the goods to Romania on the other side of the Black Sea and then into Europe.



Georgia benefits from it as much as, say, Greece or Cyprus benefits from China's port development. China built and now operates one of Europe's ten largest ports in Greece.

Georgia, being poor and developing is playing the long game in the right way and it may eventually be a major hub for China's goods and services directed at Europe.



China being a major developing country is a fact repeated daily by the government at every level. Hence, China's interaction with the rest of the world, including Africa, is qualitatively different from that of other countries, including Turkey.

For Silk Road investment in Africa, here is a brief list of major projects in Africa (completed and ongoing).

View attachment 358163

Now we are on same term

 

[TaiShang]

Romania welcomes Belt and Road Initiative: officials

Source: Xinhua | 2016-03-30

Photo taken on Oct. 17, 2015 shows the aerial view of the port in Beihai city, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Beihai city, starting point of China's ancient marine silk road towards outside world, plays an important role in China's foreign trade over 2,000 years ago. To revitalize economic prosperity, Beihai is playing catch-up by joining the movement behind the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road to make its port an export channel for west China and a star of the modern version of the maritime Silk Road. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

by Marcela Ganea

BUCHAREST, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Romania welcomes the the Belt and Road Initiative as a continuation of the Silk Road idea in the 21st century, Florin Marius Tacu, secretary of state with the Chancellery of the Romanian prime minister, told a workshop in Bucharest on Tuesday.

Tacu, former Romanian consul general in Shanghai, said that Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stressed the wish to facilitate the economic exchanges between Europe and China, when meeting with diplomatic corps in Bucharest in January 2015.

The official said that Romania is "interested in all fields: nuclear energy, infrastructure ... We are making efforts to streamline the procedures for Romanian products to enter the Chinese market."

Daniel Tanase, from the Department of Globalization of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, said that China's initiative to bring a new Silk Road to connect Europe and Asia is a good input to stimulate the 16+1 cooperation.

"Romania is interested in finding common points between the 16+1 cooperation, the EU programs for infrastructure and investments, and the new Silk Road proposed by China," he said.

According to Dinu Dinulescu, general secretary of the Association for the Economic and Social Study and Forecast (ASPES), China and the EU have a daily exchange of goods of 1 billion euros (1.11 billion U.S. dollars).

Dinulescu told the workshop that the exchanges between Romania and China are 1 billion euros in six months, so there is a lot of room for development.

"Romania used to be a major partner for China and under the 16+1 framework, we can become again a good market for China. We can become an energy hub, we have potential in energy facilities, both conventional and renewable," he stressed.

In addition, Liviu Muresan, president of the EURISC foundation, stressed, "Global economy needs China."

The Romanian think tank wants to promote pragmatic economic and development projects and stimulate the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe countries along the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the 16+1 mechanism, by involving think tanks from the 16+1 countries.

Xu Feihong, Chinese ambassador to Romania, also said,"China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative by analyzing the challenges in today's world and China's new tasks, to enhance cooperation and promote common development."

The ambassador emphasized that in 2015, Chinese companies invested 40.8 billion U.S. dollars in the countries along the Belt and Road. The Chinese economy will take off together with the economies of the Belt and Road countries which will bring prosperity to Asia and Europe.

Regarding the Romanian-Chinese cooperation, Xu told the participants of the workshop that he is very happy with the cooperation in the energy field. However, "the level of our mutual cooperation is still below our aspiration."

"We'll have to find methods to put forward projects of mutual cooperation between China and Romania," he said.

The workshop, under the theme of "Romania-China cooperation: Romania's contribution to 16+1 and Belt & Road Initiative," was organized by the EURISC foundation, together with two other local think tanks: Middle East Political and Economic Institute and ASPES.

**

@Shotgunner51 , could you please merge this thread with the larger OBOR thread? I could not locate the dedicated OBOR thread.

Regards.

 

[Shotgunner51]

@Shotgunner51 , could you please merge this thread with the larger OBOR thread? I could not locate the dedicated OBOR thread.

Done, please carry on here.

 

[xenon54 out]

@Sinan @xenon54 @usernameless @T-123456 @bsruzm @KediKesenFare
beyler your opinion is valued

The future might bring new opportunities now that Kars-Tbilisi-Baku line is finished which is soon ready to operate, it all depends on diplomacy now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku–Tbilisi–Kars_railway

 

[ahojunk]

This thread is about "One Belt One Road" or "Belt and Road Initiative".

A friendly reminder to all to keep on topic.

 

[TaiShang]

Belt and Road extending more iron network into Eurasia via Russia and Central Asia. Yet another link created between China and one of the most strategic spokes on the New Silk Road framework.

I think the rail links are still hindered with incompatible gauge systems. Once/if unified, it will further boost the speed of delivery and hence reduce cost.

***

Xi'an-Moscow freight train service launched
Xinhua, December 7, 2016

​

The first freight train service linking Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Moscow, capital of Russia, is ready for departing in Xi'an, Dec. 6, 2016. The train of 41 containers mainly carrying consumer durables will pass through Kazakhstan before reaching Moscow, and the trip will take 11 days, compared to the traditional land/sea route, which takes over 45 days. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang)

A freight train service linking Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province with Moscow, capital of Russia, began operations on Tuesday.

The train of 41 containers mainly carrying consumer durables, left Xi'an at 10:50 a.m. and will pass through Kazakhstan before reaching Moscow, sources with the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park said.

The trip will take 11 days, compared to the traditional land/sea route, which takes over 45 days. It is the third China-Europe freight train from Xi'an following those to Warsaw and Hamburg.

Xi'an, known in ancient times as Chang'an, was a terminus of the Silk Road -- an ancient land trade route that ran through northwest China's Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, and Central and Western Asia, before reaching the Mediterranean.

​

The first freight train service linking Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Moscow, capital of Russia, is ready for departing in Xi'an, Dec. 6, 2016. The train of 41 containers mainly carrying consumer durables will pass through Kazakhstan before reaching Moscow, and the trip will take 11 days, compared to the traditional land/sea route, which takes over 45 days. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang)

​

The first freight train service linking Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with Moscow, capital of Russia, is ready for departing at the launching ceremony held in Xi'an, Dec. 6, 2016. The train of 41 containers mainly carrying consumer durables will pass through Kazakhstan before reaching Moscow, and the trip will take 11 days, compared to the traditional land/sea route, which takes over 45 days. (Xinhua/Tang Zhenjiang)

@vostok