Um artigo que reune informações úteis e também muita paranoia. A China não faz muito diferente do que fizeram os colonialistas europeus e os imperialistas americanos.
Paulo Roberto de Almeida
A lot has changed for China in recent years. A decade ago, virtually every industrialized country was clamouring for deeper trade and investment ties. While globalization officially made China the factory to the world decades earlier, China’s rise was not only viewed as inevitable, it was viewed as a net positive for the world.
After all, China had shown that embracing open markets and engaging in global trade was good for its economy and lifted hundreds of millions of people literally out of poverty. Buoyed by its growing strength and global influence came what has become known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Let us take a closer look at this strategy, a central plank in China’s foreign policy.
What is it?
At its core, the Belt and Road Initiative is a transportation and infrastructure plan to create a viable economic and trade network between Asia, Africa and Europe. The term Belt and Road was first uttered by China’s President, Xi Jinping, in 2013 at a university in Kazakhstan, which was a refreshed version of the ancient Silk Road that had previously connected various parts of the work. Overall, the intent is to make massive investments in ports, pipelines, roads, railways, airports and other “gateway” infrastructure that will facilitate trade, foster closer economic integration and strengthen people-to-people ties.
As of January 20021, 140 countries worldwide have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join the Belt and Road Initiative across Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S.-based think tank, China has spent some $200 billion on the initiative to date. In short, it is a big deal.
What does China hope to achieve?
Optimists (idealists) believe China is simply doing what other countries worldwide are doing: Strengthening trade and investment ties around the world to create economic growth and prosperity. However, skeptics believe it is yet another example of China’s creeping plan for global domination as it seeks to stretch its political, military and economic reach to every corner of the world. No doubt both are correct as the two are not mutually exclusive.
Why be worried?
In the past few years, it has become abundantly clear that investments made under the BRI come with strings attached, specifically through Chinese government loans. The Center for Global Development has reported that various partner countries are now vulnerable to full-blown debt crises due to high debt loads owed to Beijing.
Moreover, just this week, Montenegro, one of the countries listed in the Center for Global Development report, tried to refinance the $944 USD it borrowed from China with an American or European bank. Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations quipped on Twitter that the Belt and Road “becomes the Belt and Noose.” He stated further, more seriously, that “Chinese commercial banks are state controlled, and the full dimensions and terms of their lending must be revealed.” He added that this will be a a “huge post Covid issue.” The Ambassador is correct on all counts.
What is next?
In recent years, China has gone from a country that much of the world hoped would continue to reform to one that has laid bare its ambitions and values, which are not shared with much of the developed world. From unfair trading practices to intellectual property theft to outright human rights violations, the open door policy many countries had for China a decade ago is now seen as naïve. Add the Belt and Road Initiative to the list of supporting evidence that will no doubt continue to grow.
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