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发帖数: 5495 | 1 China just launched a 'new world order' with Russia
China's new world order: Xi, Putin and others meet for Belt and Road Forum
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/13/asia/china-belt-and-road-forum-xi-putin-erdogan/index.html
Belt and Road Forum, Beijing (CNN)China's leaders are ringing in what they
hope is a new world order at a major international conference in Beijing
Sunday.
The Belt and Road Forum is China's answer to Davos or the G20, centered
around the colossal One Belt, One Road (OBOR) trade initiative, which takes
its inspiration from the ancient Silk Road trading route.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized
OBOR's international credentials in the face of criticism that the project
will be dominated by Beijing.
"What we hope to create is a big family of harmonious co-existence," Xi said
, adding that all countries were welcome to take part in the project.
Xi announced an additional $124 billion in funding for the OBOR initiative,
including loans, grants and $8.7 billion in assistance to developing
countries. According to Chinese state media, some $1 trillion has already
been invested in OBOR, with another several trillion due to be invested over
the next decade.
Addressing the forum after Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to
take aim at the US, which is not involved in the OBOR initiative.
"Protectionism is becoming the new normal," Putin warned, adding that the "
ideas of openness and free trade are increasingly often being rejected (even
) by those who until very recently expounded them."
OBOR, which has been in the works for four years, spans more than 68
countries and up to 40% of global GDP. It is China's push to put it in a
position of world leadership as the US under President Donald Trump takes a
more protectionist approach and gives up the mantle of globalization.
Sunday's forum is being held near Beijing's Olympic Park -- the site of the
2008 games -- as the city enjoys the type of splendid weather China's
leaders have shown themselves adept at creating on demand when needed for
political events. Roads around the venue have been closed down amid a heavy
security operation.
Political push
In attendance Sunday were Chinese President Xi Jinping -- whose personal
project the OBOR initiative is -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte,
alongside a host of other world leaders and top ranking officials.
Joining them was a small delegation from North Korea, despite recent
strained ties between Beijing and Pyongyang over the latter's nuclear
program.
Early Sunday, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, emphasizing how high
tensions in the region are at the moment and stealing focus from the OBOR
forum in what could be seen as a deliberate insult to Xi.
The leaders of the US and most European economies were notably absent Sunday
. While the US sent Matt Pottinger, special assistant to the President, no
cabinet or elected officials were in attendance.
In a communique announcing a new trade deal with China Thursday, the US said
it "recognizes the importance of China's One Belt and One Road initiative,"
but Washington is largely uninvolved in OBOR or connected projects like the
China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Speaking to CNN Saturday, AIIB President Jin Liqun was positive that the US
could still play a role in China's projects, saying that "regardless of the
membership of the US ... we can work together."
"The door is open, any member is welcome to join," he added.
While OBOR has been hailed within China as something that can benefit the
whole world and lift millions out of poverty, further afield its reception
has been more mixed.
Jörg Wuttke, outgoing president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China,
warned last week that the initiative has increasingly "been hijacked by
Chinese companies, which have used it as an excuse to evade capital controls
, smuggling money out of the country by disguising it as international
investments and partnerships."
He and other critics have pointed to restrictions on and obstacles to
foreign firms doing business in China as evident of the hypocrisy behind
Beijing's grand unifying vision.
Even neighboring India has been skeptical. The country's finance and defense
minister Arun Jaitley told reporters this month Delhi has "serious
reservations" about the project, particularly regarding China-funded
development in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
US pulls back
While many countries may have gone into OBOR with a "more rosy tinted view
of what China's intent was," the scales are increasingly falling from their
eyes, said Christopher Balding, a professor of economics at Peking
University.
Of particular concern for many is what happens if Chinese-funded projects
fail. In the past, this has meant Chinese firms or banks "essentially taking
over," Balding said, giving them complete control over very strategic
projects in foreign countries. Some have also warned of projects becoming
expensive white elephants with little payoff for backers or locals.
Jin said such warnings are "necessary," adding that in the past "there were
white elephants, there were mistakes."
"It's very important that the resources put into (OBOR) projects must be
producing tangible results for the people" of the countries they are in, he
told CNN.
Max Baucus, a former US ambassador to China, said OBOR has "if not
frightened, then at least concerned, a lot of countries along the way."
What might the effect be of scrapping Trans-Pacific trade deal? 04:04
Prior to Donald Trump's election as US President, it could be expected that
Washington's Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- a free-trade alliance of 12
Asian and Pacific economies -- would act as something of a counterbalance to
rising Chinese power.
Trump however, pulled the US out of the deal a day after taking office.
While it still includes Australia and Japan, both major economies, without
Washington's backing the TPP will be far smaller if it manages to
nevertheless go ahead.
The US has also reduced activity in the hotly contested South China Sea, in
what has been seen as another concession to China by the new US president
who hopes for a solution in North Korea.
Baucus said the country's withdrawal from the region risked creating "a
vacuum."
"(TPP was) an economic complement to military planning in the South China
Sea," he said, while OBOR puts China "in the driving seat."
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout, David McKenzie and Serena Dong contributed reporting. | l*******p
发帖数: 5212 | 2 very fake news
【在 r*******g 的大作中提到】
: China just launched a 'new world order' with Russia
: China's new world order: Xi, Putin and others meet for Belt and Road Forum
: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/13/asia/china-belt-and-road-forum-xi-putin-erdogan/index.html
: Belt and Road Forum, Beijing (CNN)China's leaders are ringing in what they
: hope is a new world order at a major international conference in Beijing
: Sunday.
: The Belt and Road Forum is China's answer to Davos or the G20, centered
: around the colossal One Belt, One Road (OBOR) trade initiative, which takes
: its inspiration from the ancient Silk Road trading route.
: Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized
| b****n
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