Month: April 2021

Pakistan takes desperate measures to revive Belt and Road’s port | Nikkei Asia

“Pakistan’s federal and regional governments are taking a series of actions, including giving the status of regional subcapital and promoting tourism, to revive the struggling town of Gwadar, whose port — built and operated by the Chinese — hardly receives ship calls.

Experts believe these actions will not work unless infrastructure gaps are addressed in Gwadar, which is the center stage of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the $50 billion Pakistan component of the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Read the full article @ Nikkei Asia (paywall):

Pakistan takes desperate measures to revive Belt and Road’s port
Struggling Gwadar effectively chosen as regional subcapital and tourist destination

Djibouti-China marriage ‘slowly unravelling’ as investment project disappoints | France 24

“Djibouti, a major geopolitical crossroads in the Horn of Africa, goes to the polls in a presidential election on Friday. Much of the international discourse about the country focuses on China bringing it into its economic orbit through the Belt and Road Initiative. But experts say that Djibouti illustrates the limitations of China’s vast investment and loans project.”

Read the full article @ France 24:

Djibouti-China marriage ‘slowly unravelling’ as investment project disappoints
Djibouti, a major geopolitical crossroads in the Horn of Africa, goes to the polls in a presidential election on Friday. Much of the international discourse about the country focuses on China bringin…

Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Indonesia Face Fresh Delays | The Diplomat

“Indonesia’s government should tread cautiously when green-lighting large-scale Chinese infrastructure projects.

On March 23, the Indonesian news magazine Tempo reported that the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail project, one of China’s main Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the country, has been delayed due to financial and environmental considerations.”

Read the full article @ The Diplomat:

Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Indonesia Face Fresh Delays
Indonesia’s government should tread cautiously when green-lighting large-scale Chinese infrastructure projects.

Switzerland is caught between the fronts of the geopolitical confrontation between the USA and China | NZZ

“The US and some of their close friends are protesting against China – and Switzerland is not participating. In terms of content, the statement hits the bull’s eye. But the Federal Council is trying to avoid a confrontation with the leadership in Beijing. This balancing act will no longer be possible for a long time.”

Read the full commentary @ NZZ (paywall):

Streit um WHO-Papier: Die Schweiz zwischen den USA und China
Die USA und einige ihrer engen Freunde protestieren gegen China – und die Schweiz macht nicht mit. Inhaltlich trifft das Statement ins Schwarze. Doch der Bundesrat versucht die Konfrontation mit der Führung in Peking zu vermeiden. Lange wird dieser Balanceakt nicht mehr möglich sein.

Analyst: Malaysia plays major role in Belt & Road Initiative | CGTN

“Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is meeting his counterparts from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines this week. Wang met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Thursday. Shan Saeed, a chief economist at Juwai IQI’s Malaysia office, joined CGTN’s Global Watch from Kuala Lumpur to share his insights.”

See the clip @ CGTN:

Analyst: Malaysia plays major role in Belt & Road Initiative
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China, Indonesia vow to deepen ties in vaccines, BRI, marine security | Global Times

“China and Indonesia will deepen vaccine cooperation, push forward on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects and enhance cooperation in the marine field, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi agreed, during a meeting in East China’s Fujian Province on Friday.

China is deepening cooperation with Indonesia on vaccines and discussing proceeding with mutual recognition for health codes to facilitate personnel exchange as early as possible. Wang hopes that Indonesia can support the implementation of China’s “Spring Seedling Action” in Indonesia, making Chinese citizens in the country receive their COVID-19 vaccines earlier.”

Read the full article @ Global Times:

China, Indonesia vow to deepen ties in vaccines, BRI, marine security
China and Indonesia will deepen vaccine cooperation, push forward on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects and enhance cooperation in the marine field, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi agreed, during a meeting in East China’s Fu…