China's overland Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road Thread

SampanViking

The Capitalist
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China has published on Saturday its plan for VISION AND ACTIONS ON JOINTLY BUILDING SILK ROAD ECONOMIC BELT AND 21ST-CENTURY MARITIME SILK ROAD

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While this may appear primarily an economic document, I think there can be very little doubt that this is all encompassing strategic plan that the distillation of China's diplomatic, economic and security plans of the last thirty years. In short this is one of the most important documents that will be produced in the 21st Century and will represent the culmination of policy in regards to the Strategic Partnership with Russia, the SCO, ASEAN, BRICS etc.

The timing of the launch of the document to coincide with the founding of the AIIB is likewise no coincidence. On the one hand we have the fund on the other we have the project prospectus to be funded.

The launch of the plan described in the document is a paradigm shift, which marks the return of Pan Continental trade returning to the historical land trade routes which maintained Asian primacy for nearly 2000 years and away from Maritime Trade Routes of the last 500 years which marked the rise of European primacy.

Where of course, money and the trade of goods and ideas goes, the military and security will never be far behind, so I believe that something else is also unveiled with this document. Such routes are valuable if not core interests of China (and its strategic partners). They would therefore be extremely vulnerable if such a plan were launched and actioned without any of the military capability to protect it.
I think we can therefore surmise that the timing of the launch of the plan and bank is also announcement by China of it possessing the military capability of protecting it, whilst being set up and once in place.

Anyway this is a complex and multi layered document and I need to get back to reading it. I thought it was necessary to set the thread sooner rather than later. I hope you all have a good read as well.
 

broadsword

Brigadier
I can see the logic of travelling via the old Silk Road, but I don't get it with the maritime route. Why isn't the current link sufficient since the ports are in place other than the building of a few more to supplement as in the case of Sri Lanka? The maritime plan has aroused unease among the affected nations due to insufficient info from China.
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
I can see the logic of travelling via the old Silk Road, but I don't get it with the maritime route. Why isn't the current link sufficient since the ports are in place other than the building of a few more to supplement as in the case of Sri Lanka? The maritime plan has aroused unease among the affected nations due to insufficient info from China.

One word....AFRICA.
 

Ultra

Junior Member
No, its to do with China's aspiration - the maritime route is critical to China's naval strategy to safeguard the supply from Middle East and Africa to China. It is also as a mean to put India's navy in check - because out of all the countries west of China, India posed the greatest threat and is the most hostile towards China. India has the means to cut off China's supply by sea, thus the naval "string of pearls" strategy is needed to ward off the potential risk of such event.

string-of-pearls1.jpg
 

Zool

Junior Member
No, its to do with China's aspiration - the maritime route is critical to China's naval strategy to safeguard the supply from Middle East and Africa to China. It is also as a mean to put India's navy in check - because out of all the countries west of China, India posed the greatest threat and is the most hostile towards China. India has the means to cut off China's supply by sea, thus the naval "string of pearls" strategy is needed to ward off the potential risk of such event.

Transit security is a requirement for any trade route. It's a multi-national concern and not one only applying to China. The routes you illustrated see the passage of goods from many countries besides China. Those goods bound for China, or from China, are not all China flagged vessels. An interdiction/blockade strategy by India is a lot more complicated than you may think.

Honestly your entire sentiment reads like some of the nonsense posted on bharat rakshak. The MSR initiative and AIIB are about ensuring viable avenues of economic growth for China over the coming decades. Security as mentioned above is a concern sure, but it's not the prime motivator here. I also do not think China views India as a primary threat or is actively acting against it -- although I cannot say the same of India vis-a-vis China; which is unfortunate considering the prosperity both nations could bring about in the region if acting as true partners minus the paranoid suspicion.
 

advill

Junior Member
Like China's AIIB where several countries have shown interests to join, many nations will want to know more details about China's plans on land and maritime silk routes. The proposals face many challenges and obstacles that include not only economic but geo-strategic considerations involving the cooperation of many nations.
 
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