One Belt, Many Yokes
China’s “New Silk Road,” as exemplified in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiatives, is being sold to the world community as a leveraging of partnerships for a common good. Unfortunately, it increasingly looks like what’s really being leveraged are the partners themselves
Leak of a key CPEC document reveals agenda to embed Chinese influence and power in Pakistan while encumbering the nation in debt
https://swarajyamag.com/world/cpec-is-chinas-plan-to-make-pakistan-a-client-state-but-latter-will-pay-for-the-privilege
Moreover: CPEC driving repression in Balochistan, Kashmir: Business Standard, Jammu Scoopnews
Debt-driven projects such as China-Laos Railway, Indonesia light rail, are typical OBOR incentives
http://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-business/china-one-belt-one-road-vision/
Infrastructure projects in Malaysia linked to Maritime Silk Road aimed at bolstering China hegemony in South China Sea, influence over Malacca Strait; 1MDB bailout a prime incentive
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/malaysias-balancing-act-between-asean-and-beijing
Furthermore: Mushrooming public debt in Central Asian countries have already paved the way for the western links of the New Silk Road: rferl.org; Asia Times
OBOR likely to foment domestic credit crunch in China, just as economic growth has stalled http://www.nasdaq.com/article/breakingviewschinese-taxpayers-have-most-to-fear-on-silk-road-20170516-00156
Originally published at www.indopacificmonitor.com on May 22, 2017.
