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America's Waning Influence: Beijing To Invest $46 Billion In Energy, Infrastructure For US "Ally"
China is looking to succeed where the United States has failed. Beijing — which, as a reminder, has claimed it will not use its regional infrastructure development initiatives as a tool of foreign policy — is now set to facilitate the construction of nearly $50 billion in power plants, roads, and railways in neighboring Pakistan. The proposal, which will give China access to the Indian Ocean via the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, is part of President Xi Jinping’s ambitious “Silk Road” Economic Belt, a plan announced last year that aims to connect China with Europe via a series of infrastructure projects. As a reminder, here’s a description via Xinhuanet:
The Silk Road Economic Belt focuses on bringing together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean. The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road is designed to go from China's coast to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in one route, and from China's coast through the South China Sea to the South Pacific in the other.
China also hopes the partnership with Pakistan will act as a check on the spread of fundamentalism into its Western Xinjiang region which is predominantly muslim.
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, President Xi's investment in Pakistan will likely include nearly $2 billion in loans for the construction of Pakistan's portion of the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline (the so-called "Peace Pipeline"). Iran's section is complete, but the Pakistani side of the equation has been complicated by Washington which has threatened sanctions against Islamabad should the Pakistani government trade with Tehran. The prospect of an Iranian nuclear deal (as elusive at it seems) and the willingness of Beijing to invest in the country mean the project may finally be completed with China building some 435 miles of pipeline from Nawabshah to Gwadar (where an LNG terminal may be built and incidentally, where the proposed economic corridor from China to the Arabian Sea will dead-end) while Pakistan will construct the remaining 80 miles of pipe to the Iranian border. Here's WSJ:
China will build a pipeline to bring natural gas from Iran to Pakistan to help address Pakistan’s acute energy shortage, under a deal to be signed during the Chinese president’s visit to Islamabad this month, Pakistani officials said.
The arrival of President Xi Jinping is expected to showcase China’s commitment to infrastructure development in ally Pakistan, at a time when few other countries are willing to make major investments in the cash-strapped, terrorism-plagued country.
The pipeline would amount to an early benefit for both Pakistan and Iran from the framework agreement reached earlier this month between Tehran and the U.S. and other world powers to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. had previously threatened Pakistan with sanctions if it went ahead with the project.
“We’re building it,” Pakistani Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasitold The Wall Street Journal. “The process has started.”
The pipeline will bring much-needed gas to Pakistan, which suffers from a crippling electricity deficit because of a shortage of fuel for its power-generation plants. Pakistan has been negotiating for months behind the scenes for China to build the Pakistani portion of the pipeline, which will cost up to $2 billion...
Pakistan hasn’t begun construction, however, in light of threatened U.S. sanctions for trading with Iran. Islamabad had sought to work around the sanctions by asking the Chinese to build the pipeline but not yet connect it to the Iranian portion. The prospect of an Iran nuclear agreement, which would ease sanctions in stages once the deal is completed, has given Islamabad further impetus to clear the project...
Islamabad believes the Iranian gas is the cheapest and simplest energy supply option for Pakistan. Pakistan will also start to take liquefied natural gas from Qatar, and it remains in protracted multicountry negotiations over a pipeline that would bring gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to supply Pakistan and India. Washington had long lobbied Pakistan to go for the Turkmenistan pipeline instead of the Iranian one...
Pakistan has had a close strategic alliance with China for decades—aimed mostly against common foe India—but now Beijing is seeking to add an economic dimension to the relationship. Islamabad and Beijing plan an “economic corridor” linking the Pakistani port of Gwadar, which is under Chinese management, to southwestern China with road and rail connections.
Aside from advancing its economic and security interests, the move by China also represents an effort on the part of Beijing to prove it can be successful where Washington has failed. Despite efforts to present an ostensibly united front against terrorism, relations between the US and Pakistan have suffered from mutual mistrust for years, and the new commitment by China may serve to further diminish American influence in Islamabad. Indeed, the $46 billion China is set to invest is 53% more than the US has invested in the country in 13 years and is six times as much as what Washington promised under a recent program which the New York Times notes is generally considered a “dramatic failure.” Here’s more:
China’s president, Xi Jinping, travels to Pakistan on Monday laden with tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure and energy assistance on a scale the United States has never offered in the past decade of a close relationship, a gesture likely to confirm the decline of American influence in that nation.
Mr. Xi, making his first overseas trip this year, and the first by a Chinese leader to Pakistan in nine years, will arrive fortified from the robust reception to the new China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and is looking to show that China can make a difference in a friendly, neighboring country troubled by terrorism.
Pakistani officials say that Mr. Xi will be signing accords for $46 billion for the construction of roads, rails and power plants to be built on a commercial basis by Chinese companies over 15 years.
Just as the United States sought to stabilize Pakistan during the war in Afghanistan, so China wants to prevent the spread of militant groups in Pakistan into Xinjiang, the far western region of China with a large Muslim population…
A significant amount of China’s new assistance … will be in areas close to the tribal areas where the militant groups operate...
“The Chinese are stepping in, in a much, much bigger way than the United States ever contemplated,” said Jahangir Tareen, a Pakistani businessman, and the secretary general of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. “The assistance is far, far more than the United States government offered under the United States Agency for International Development.”
Most striking about the visit is the scale of Mr. Xi’s aid announcement compared with the American effort from 2009 to 2012 spearheaded in Congress by John Kerry, then a senator, and pressed in Pakistan by Hillary Rodham Clinton, then secretary of state. The program designated $7.5 billion for development projects over five years.
That effort was a “dramatic failure” because the resources were scattered too thinly, and had no practical or strategic impact, said David S. Sedney, a former senior official at the Pentagon responsible for Pakistan during that period.
The Chinese appear to have learned from the American program, including the notion that the American plan was designed to deliver a strategic result — deterring terrorism — but failed to do so, Mr. Sedney said.
To do better than the United States, the Chinese have come up with “a much larger financial commitment — and it is focused on a specific area, it has a signature infrastructure focus and it is a decades-long commitment,” he said.
As FT reports, the new partnership comes on the heels of the announcement that Pakistan will purchase eight submarines from China, which is now the world’s third largest arms supplier and which, readers are reminded, has been keen to project its military prowess of late between a rescue effort in Yemen and the construction of a 10,000 runway atop reclaimed islands in the South China Sea.
In a show of deepening military ties, Mr Xi’s visit was preceded by confirmation that the Pakistan navy will buy eight Chinese submarines after failing to strike an agreement with other suppliers. The types of submarines and their expected cost has not been revealed, but analysts say the contract could be worth $4bn-$5bn and would be the largest defence contract for both countries.
While it isn’t yet clear what portion of the investment in Pakistan will come from the AIIB, the China-led infrastructure investment bank which recently staged a major coup by attracting membership bids from US allies despite the protestations of The White House, what is clear from the numbers is that the new bank, by virtue of its singular purpose may be far better at facilitating regional development than its rival. Here’s Bloomberg:
If it can overcome operational and political challenges, the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank may reduce infrastructure bottlenecks and boost developing Asia’s potential output by more than 1 percentage point. The AIIB is poised to emerge as Asia's biggest investment-focused multinational development bank…
World Bank data show a big gap between infrastructure in Asia and developed countries. Compared with India's 2.3 telephone lines per 100 people, the U.S. has 42.2. While Indonesia has 1.3 fixed broadband Internet subscribers per 100 people, the U.S. has 29.3. Least-developed Asian countries' disparities are even more stark…
The AIIB's expected paid-in capital of $20 billion would give it about the same lending capacity as the ADB. The ADB committed about 60 percent of its $21 billion in new loans in 2013 to infrastructure projects, or about $12.6 billion. Given the AIIB's sole focus on infrastructure, its capacity to make loans toward building Asia's bridges and power plants might be 60 percent to 70 percent greater than its Manila-based rival's.
Of course the encumbents will be resistant to change as it represents a threat to the way things have been for decades, which is why the following comments from the head of the ADB come as no surprise.
Via FT:
“I’m not trying to belittle the initiative,” he said. “I think it is understandable.”
But the ADB, he said, had almost $100bn in loans outstanding in Asia, twice the initial capital proposed for the AIIB. The ADB’s total authorised capital stands at more than $150bn.
“It’s a huge amount of money. I’m not boasting that we are bigger. But we have a history and a certain lending capacity and expertise and diversified staff. We can continue to play a role,” he said.
“I don’t think there will be major change to the world of development finance [because of the creation of the AIIB], although there can be interpretations as to the symbolic meaning of this.”
* * *
Even as Beijing seeks to play down the degree to which its regional development initiatives are indicative of a larger plan to supplant the post WWII economic order, the evidence is mounting that in fact, China does indeed intend for the AIIB and Silk Road Belt to serve as instruments of foreign policy and, despite explicit denials, recent reports suggesting Beijing will push for the yuan to have an outsized role in deals financed through China-led initiatives seem to indicate that China no doubt understands how powerful of a tool the new funds could be in terms of helping to establish the yuan as a viable alternative to the dollar which, as a result of the crumbling petrodollar system and a shift towards institutions like the AIIB, may see its reserve currency status slip in the coming years. We’ll close with the following from China Daily:
In a rare case of disagreement with the US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland all applied to join the AIIB. This symbolic development marks the rise of emerging economies, with China as their representative, and is a prelude to the restructuring of the global financial system.
The AIIB and the Belt and Road Initiative could be the platform to turn promises into action for the benefit of all members, developing as well developed.
More importantly, the efficiency with which China transformed the Belt and Road Initiative from a proposal into a grand executable plan in about a year shows its determination to make them succeed.
China's belief and engagement in trade, cooperation and investment for mutual benefit could further facilitate the success of the AIIB and Belt and Road Initiative, while the cost-performance advantages some Chinese industries enjoy and the country's huge foreign exchange reserves and high savings are factors that constitute a solid foundation for the country's "go global" strategy for its enterprises to increase overseas operations.
To sum up the above with one cartoon:
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JPM is buying Silver like crazy folks: SOMETHING IS UP BIG TIME
Here’s a breakdown of the Comex’s most recent silver deliveries to JP Morgan:
April 7th: 1,110,000 ounces
April 8th: 1,280,000 ounces
April 9th: 893,037 ounces
April 10th: 1,200,224 ounces
April 14th: 1,073,000 ounces
April 15th: 1,191,275 ounces
April 16th: 1,183,777.295 ounces
All in all, JP Morgan has added over 8.3 million ounces of additional silver in just the past 2 weeks alone.
Gov can't make silver illegal as they can gold. Silver is sued in production of stuff. There is a doctor now using gold down in the nano scale where its properties change and he is using it to focus lasers to kill cancer cells without harming non cancerous cells.
There r other plays too other than gold if we go to hyperinflation and don't just flop over in rates like we r turning Japanese.
Plus coming up from the desert of low rates of inflation a little inflation can seem a lot if the economy sucks. If the foundation of the ecin My isn't strong enough to gulp it down as if it was nothing as it just keeps chugging along ....
we shall see if the go over the cliff with stimulus enough to screw all currencies.
Back to the point of the article. Shouldn't the Keystone Pipeline protesters make their way ovr to China and Pakistan?
China is a HUGE exporter to the point of being mercantilist. Their primary markets are the US (flat at best), Europe (dying) and Japan (dead, they just haven't called time of death yet). Their internal real growth hasn't met expecations, either.
So they are going to build demand for their products where the US and it's cronies haven't and won't. Middle east, Africa, etc. And they get to control where the money gets invested because it's their bank, not a US/European puppet.
This is perhaps the most logical, rational undertaking I can remember seeing from China in a long time. Which is also why the US was dead-set against it (and lost).
Business promoting America, subverting and sabotaging these mega infrastructure projects at every turn, which could raise the living standards of billions. America is the biggest threat to peace and proroperity On the face of the earth, CIA sponsored creations like ISIS included.
Business promoting America, subverting a
Thanks.
I suspected as much when they monkey hammered the price below $16 today.
Dollar turned back up after a recent fall
though earlier this year when the dollar rose the PM's really crashed.... And golds been stubbornly using 1200 lately on the most recent dollar fall... It has more of a foundation and mind if it's own these days the PM's as in February it was lock step PM to the dollar... Peeps nibbling on them this time.... A bit more than last time when the dollar was strong.....
U can feel it.... Think we have only had one free fall day when w went to like 1180 only to crawl back up to 1200 even as the dollar tried to rebound recently and didn't make those old highs back earlier in year.
Even back in the early year when the dollar went string silver held up more than gold wanted to dip on dollar strength.
Silver is getting slaughtered compared to gold today.n that's usually not the case lately. I don't suspect it I'll last long as the dollar attempts to rise if outside forces don't alter its little rebound cycle.
As peeps been nibbling and I'm sure as the dollar rises that will increase.
If not its just another good time to nibble on the cheap.
Great info, give us an update in the next ZH gold or silver story.
So why the fuck did silver future tank today?
(I have some ideas, but let us hear yours.)
I'm making over $7k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life. This is what I do... www.globe-report.com
Money talks and America walks
I agree that the US global influence is waning somewhat, but for those who think the us is going to fall from being a world power in the next economic debacle is not paying attention to the history or the facts.
Sure the US may not be the sole super power or the top super power for that matter after the next monetary shift, but for those who hope for the US to be punished into third world status I think you are reading the cards wrong.
i think usa be pushed even lower
Such a bull article of yours debtcrash full of wishful thinkings , ignorance and rehtorics .
Is it warming up in Moskow yet?
can't chew the truth dipshit ? you really think a single world currency will come just because US is loosing its grip now ? lol come out of your basement hasbara and embrace the truth .
jajajaja! US is already a third world country. Are you blind or what?
China is courting India too, the bricks of the BRICS are being put in place.
Serves the U.S. right for selling out their citizens and productive capacity.
Interesting opinion piece in today's WSJ about the US selling Viper attack helicopters to Pakistan, which will probably be used not for Jhadists, but on the border with India.
Arms sales and power plant sales from the US to Pakistan have a funny way of never getting consummated. Whether the F-16s or the NG plants that ENRON was supposed to build. The US has had over 20 years to prove itself itself a reliable partner - and it proven the opposite.
I think this is all great, they build it, they can defend it. The superpower game is expensive and bloody and it's time to start paying the membership dues. Meanwhile, we can do like Russia does, don't send troops, send guns and don't worry about who your selling them to since it won't be your people getting shot.....
Let's look at America's contribution to its ally Pakistan:
“This investigation comes to the conclusion that the war has, directly or indirectly, killed around 1 million people in Iraq, 220,000 in Afghanistan and 80,000 in Pakistan, i.e. a total of around 1.3 million. Not included in this figure are further war zones such as Yemen. The figure is approximately 10 times greater than that of which the public, experts and decision makers are aware of and propagated by the media and major NGOs. And this is only a conservative estimate. The total number of deaths in the three countries named above could also be in excess of 2 million, whereas a figure below 1 million is extremely unlikely.”
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/03/study-physicians-social-responsib...
Being unapolagetically ethnocentric, nationalist racist etc, and atheist atop all that, its a fair bet the Chinese can outdo the west chewing up the more problematic populations in these muslim hellholes.
According to Chinese President who by some accounts may be one of the most important persons in the world, said that Pakistan (a country of over 182 million in population) and a very strategically located neighbour of China is like ...
Xi Jinping on Pakistan: 'I Feel as if I Am Going to Visit the Home of my Own Brother'China and Pakistan signed an astonshing 51 MoU's today.
Economic corridor in focus as Pakistan, China sign 51 MoUsChina has received a massive 40 year lease on one of the largest deep water ports built by China itself near the Strait of Hormuz in Pakistan called Gawadar Port. Oil will flow from Iran to Pakistan and straight to China from here BY LAND.
The influence of China in Pakistan which used to be America's backyard until a few years ago is so HUGE that some analysts are calling it...
China occupying Pakistan?
http://www.merinews.com/article/china-occupying-pakistan/15905871.shtml
Something's wrong. Suddenly I'm seeing these stories of peace breaking out in the Middle (& Far) East, suddenly Vlad is successfully dividing the criminal element that rules Europe, suddenly a pro-Iranian faction is successfully subverting Israeli rule of the White House, suddenly the AIIB legitimises the death of the petrodollar curse, suddenly sizable gold and silver buys are causing the COMEX rigging to look so irrelevant that you can't even get a good argument going here about 'price' these days.
The sheep can stay quiet only as long as the criminals' duct tape & baling twine successfully holds together. Suddenly it seems to be fraying apart all over the place. Criminal rule of the White House & Europe is starting to look like the Deacon's One-Hoss Shay.
Suddenly the alt-news is blaring all over, drowning out the MSM. Suddenly even the sheep are having trouble believing the lies of their criminal betters -- when even as recently as 10 years back, MSM had so much credibility that only the most hardened doomers dismissed the false flag narratives, and it occurred to only finance people that market 'prices' may be rigged.
I come here for DOOM, dammit! Where's my doom porn? Guess I should spend more time obsessing over irrelevant war criminals on the Hillary threads, but alas, the stink of sulpher and MSM so far has kept me off them. Not convinced that I've missed any real news from skipping those, though.
Some excellent geo-political blogs out there these days, BTW, for those of us who like a more 'multi-national' view of events. Here's my short list:
http://thesaker.is/latest-articles
http://www.voltairenet.org/en
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.ca
http://fortruss.blogspot.ca
http://govtslaves.info
http://www.presstv.com
http://journal-neo.org
They're blogs, so they have their agendas and are certainly owned by various players who want you to see things their way -- which has always been the case in publishing. But they can be informative, and I find after reading them that some of these days I find myself verging on cheerfulness. Occasionally I can't help feeling that the criminal network that rules North America is coming down -- and that when it does, we peasants aren't going to be just left in misery by the rest of the world. There's really more to life and our real economy, than a handful of criminals, no matter how much silver Cufflinks is proxy-buying these days.
Maybe I should go lie down until this cheerful feeling passes.
Hey Renfield,
Thanks for sharing the links.
The world is indeed falling apart. But as I said yesterday in my posts on the China page...http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-18/china-sees-largest-capital-outf...
that all countries will be run like fortresses in the future and hence become insulated. That is the grand plan by each nation to protect itself. Thanks to all jobs having left the shores of US long ago, US without its exports or its expansion of giant companies (who have been shrinking for the last 10-15 years and and now are barely 120 out of Top 500 instead of more than 450 out of 500, about 25 years ago are going to waste). Aside from Tech and a bit of healthcare, there are not many areas where US continues to hold global sway. Even in Tech, thanks to Snowden, countries are restricting and ejecting US corporations.
US will implode but the sound will not be heard in far away insulated countries like China or Russia or Africa..because they have not much to do with US any longer yet they are bigger in scale and scope than they were just 20 years ago.
US Govt has sold the soul and jobs of Americans to rest of the world and now the rest of the world does not want to share it's victories with the US or their citizens nor provide them employment unless they are willing to relocate which is what happened in the past when rest of the world relocated to US but if US citizens dont relocate to where the money is they will be doomed. (until they are smart like that UK professor or Jim Rogers or Marc Faber etc to just move to China or somewhere there).
I share some of my short list as well.
http://philosophyofmetrics.com
http://www.postwesternworld.com
http://lonestarwhitehouse.blogspot.ae
http://www.asiasentinel.com
http://thebricspost.com
http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/Newswires.aspx
http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com
http://www.project-syndicate.org
http://qz.com
http://www.asiaone.com/?a=1
http://tass.ru/en
http://www.worldcrunch.com
Ha! At least 3 of these are on my bookmarks too, but I have not visited in awhile. Time to change that!
Thanks for a great list. I am looking forward to visiting these.
I agree with what you said about China getting ready to break its peg. Its SDR inclusion is probably also baked in, although I'm not sure how relevant the SDR will remain. I tend to foresee a different currency system altogether (asset-backed, which may or may not include the SDR, and it probably will if the IMF wants to stay relevant). I foresee asset-backed currencies, gold to represent a large part of such assets but that backiing would not be limited to gold. (Could include silver, oil, agriculture, timber, even labour.) We can speculate. In any case, the outlook for North America is pretty dismal, granted -- but I have to admit that my gloom lasts only for as long as the current commerce-killing criminals stay in power, so when it looks like they're going to fall, I start to perk up.
If the rest of the world is interested in carrying on real business -- which they just might be -- then the era of the financial war criminal may finally be over, and an end of the 20th-century banking crime wave. (Of course, the 21st century will have its own problems. At least they'll be different ones. Famine and 'natural' disasters and resource division battles, here we come.) Frankly, the end of 'globalisation', at least in the form that the monster private corporatists want us to accept, would be a relief to me even if it does mean very small-scale economies and limited wealth as the only alternatives.
I have a silly blind faith that some of us peasants will be able to rebuild, if only in a small way, some sort of limited economy for ourselves and to a degree, start over again. That is, if we can get the criminal-parasite globalist monkey off our backs, and regain some form of property and commercial rights...
We will see. I always look forward to seeing your comments here. Be well and go careful, brother.
Politicians say what politicians say. This move is a better choice than some other countries. Pakistan is next door and has a govt that has considerable control over it's citizens. Pakistan does brutally oppress portions of its population and areas of it's country. The elite do take resources they are not entitled too and these issues could be used by outside provacators.
In other countries in particular China's gains can be taken away and China's investments trashed by Massod/US proxy overthrowing the govts and covert actions. Military might must be projected to protect any economic projections. Creating a proxy army in conjunction with the existing govt can work but China must supply the air sheild at a minimum. I would also submit that China must become capable of helping create resistance in the countries that serve as the Massod/US proxies. Those countries have the most vulnerable and better developed infrastructure to be attacked. Such as the Saudies and Qatar. China must be able to be offensive in that manner.
Well US can make tireless efforts in making some rebel group besides Taliban in Afgh and Pakistan just to do what ? to destroy Chinese investments in pakistan . Well Pakistan military isn't good but it's decent enough to fend off any ISIS like terror siege in their country . Moreover , why would China will go offensive ? Those nations have enough military might to protect their nations . China can provide them assitance with arms etc . Well the exisiting terror groups in Afgh-pak are already pissed with usa as they don't want afghanistan to become a poppy growing drugland .
modi will be pissed heugeheh
Good catch up article ZH. Very informative.
6009527
Note my remarks about Chinese investment in Africa.
6010993
Thats because China leaders want to get things done. In the US, the politicians are only interested in alienating the opposition.
1. China spends $46B to get natural gas pipelines, rail, roads, ports, modern electrical grid.
2. USA spends $4T in the same region to get what?
3. Pay your taxes folks, then go to #1.
Its all in how you spend it.
Time for America's Middle East proxy to dump a few million in ordinance on Iran to remind it not to get too close to the dragon. Pakistan is now a lost cause, however.
you [and Chomsky] have it backwards. The US is the proxy.
Proof?
http://www.wired.com/2012/04/shady-companies-nsa/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/11/nsa-americans-personal-data...
http://www.newsweek.com/israel-flagged-top-spy-threat-us-new-snowdennsa-...
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/05/snowden-document-implies-nsa-may-...
of course, while both parties are ZOG [an 'antisemitic' 'conspiracy theory' which is demonstrably true and in point of fact refers to zionists, to include non-Jews, not just Jews 'as' Jews.] the GOP is far worse, largely but not solely due to the pseudo Christian dispensationalist useful idiots.]
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/23/republicans-allegiance-israel-ame...
Wait, hold on a second. Are the Chinese implying that it would be theoretically possible to exhert political influence without the use of billion-dollar B2 bombers? That's just crazy-talk. Where is the fun in that? /sarc
On a more serious note, I wonder what the ROIC number is on that? is it maybe $1.00 greater than $0.00 ? And if so, that's probaly a few trillion dollars better than we've been getting in this fucking game so far......
Ask the Tibetans, the Chinese will use whatever they have at hand.
Whichever is the least expensive actually.
Little Johnny Obama is playing Checkers....Iranians, Russia and China are playing Chess. Sad that the US is pretty much on the wrong side everytime...well unless you are a ukrainian billionaire contributing to Hillary or Barry's Dynasty fund.
Persians invented chess. Barry has trouble with tick-tack-toe.
US AID is a propaganda turdball, nothing more nothing less. Sort of a government sponsored global statist Scientology project. Thoroughly incapable of doing something like investing $46 billion in infrastructure.
I bet they got a damn fine spy infrastructure for whatever the price.
The Pakistanis enjoyed decades of hoodwinking the US, WB and IMF Aid missions, and gobbling vast amounts in graft. Nothing got done, ever. The americans must be chuckling to themselves as to the hole the Chinese have dug for themselves. I suspect a Chinese response to being defrauded may be more definite; especially if the Chinese believe that Pakistan can become a middle-class market for their wares, like maybe India could. I reckon China to achieve control over the value, if not the issuance of the (Pkr) currency. ...if there isn't a water crisis first
In fact its the other way around : The US "bought" a military fascist regime with "planned obsolescence" material after the Korean war. Their strategy was in line with J. F DUlles's Crusade mantra "for us or against us" against the independence of Bandung conference 1955 summit members; who wanted a "third way" not to be sucked into the Cold War binary dystopia.
Us aid to Paki via military regime was AIMED at destroying Nehru's non aligned India by making the Paki Military its "Pinochet" regime or Shah regime in that region : surrogate puppet for 50 years.
It succeeded, where Nam had failed miserably, and Soviet invasion of Afghan gave it an opportunity for making Sunni Islam Talibanism flag carrier in US Crusade against Brezhnev's invasion.
We know how that ended, with Afghan becoming the Cold war pivot that morphed into the "war on terror" pivot in the New Crusade against "terrorism", after the old Crusade against Communism had died in SU demise. The MIC desperately needed a NEW DEVIL to fight, anybody who defied Pax Americana hegemony and military might to sell arms to all and sundry like white powder.
The US hoodwinked the whole world, based on petrodollar debt which is now coming back to haunt them in the very place where it all started in 1945 : ME Oil patch. FDR and Saud...
We've spent way more than that droning wedding parties and funerals in Pakistan. Just think of all the economic prosperity our death and destruction has given Pakistan.
They just hate us for our freedoms.
And with energy prices (not including oil) so low, does anyone question why a nation has crisis? There is ample supply without Iran in the equation.
I think there is more to this like China giving someone the middle finger.
DC US' Response to Pakistan: "But, but who's going to kill your people for you? Come on, we've got drones, and bombs. What's China got? If they build a bridge or road a terrorist might use it. And only terrorists drink fresh water. Come on."
The banksters need to repay us.
China using up those fiat Green Backs while they're still worth something.
While US brings chaos and death around the world, China brings investments and progress.
Best of luck with the jihadis to our chicom friends. Perhaps they will embrace communism as Mao once called religion a poison. No one likes poison right?
Go hump your daddy dipshit ,
Did the Sierra Club approve this?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/eurasia-as-we-and-the-u-s-knew-it-is-dead/5443805
Eurasia As We (And the U.S.) Knew It is Dead
Pepe Escobar
The silk road project is huge and the 46 billion for Pakistan is just one piece of the puzzle. We must not forget the 242 billion high-speed railway from Bejing to Moscow and the Russian / Chinese gas pipeline under planning and construction. The Russians are even dreaming to build a bridge from Siberia to Alaska. Instead of alienating us in Europa and the US from Russia and China we should rather find a common ground and attempt to continue business with them. Otherwise we risk falling back to the status of emerging countries while the former BRICS press ahead. The cost of the Ukraine adventure for the EU and US threatens to become enormous.
Look, The Chinese can't build any more ghost cities in their own country and they're offering a better deal than the Americans. Pakistan saw how Afghanistan ended up with nothing but USELESS SHIT after the US occupiers spent 100 billion dollars there.
https://news.vice.com/article/the-us-just-cant-stop-blowing-billions-in-...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CvWJVtEkUE