Interesting DW documentary on Chinese commercial interest in South East Asia and South Asia

[Gecko123]

 

[Mavideol]

The German's have some interesting documentary's about China, saw a lot of them and quite interesting.... and China will keep denying anything and everything....pity the (so called) big economies depend so much on China

[mfd101]

13 hours ago, Mavideol said:

China will keep denying anything and everything

That's why it's so difficult for the Big Fella in Beijing to make up his mind to move on HK. Would have disastrous effects on China's image. Not that he won't do it if pushed and pushed, but the cost would be enormous. As is the cost for him domestically if he doesn't.

[Gecko123]

Documentary covers Chinese commercial interests in Myanmar jade trade and Sino/Khmer social tensions in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, along with a number of other subjects.

 

@simon43

@BritManToo

 

 

[Awinkl]

A very well made Doco - showing clearly ...... of THINGS TO COME - and while Pattaya is NOT Sihanoukville, THEY The Chinese) already show a BIG impact here.

[Brunolem]

The new silk road, or belt and road initiative (BRI), is first and foremost a new white elephant, as China seems to like them so much (new empty cities, airports, trains...). 

 

Having more or less covered its own territory with these animals, China needed to search space outside its borders, in order to keep its gigantic steel and cement factories humming, and its millions of workers busy. 

 

The beauty of the BRI is that, this time, others will pay for the white elephants. 

 

It is not as if there are no means of communication and transportation between China and the West... how have they managed to export so much until now? 

 

The infrastructure is for the most part already there, and who will travel by high speed train from, say, Pakistan to Bejing? 

 

Another reason for China to develop this project is to get rid of its over reliance on the US market and the US dollar. 

 

Having said all that, and despite the weak points of the BRI, it is still better for a country to invest in such a project, than to spend all its money, and beyond, on military adventures, like the US is doing... the grasshopper and the ant revisited... 

[Gecko123]

1 hour ago, Awinkl said:

A very well made Doco - showing clearly ...... of THINGS TO COME - and while Pattaya is NOT Sihanoukville, THEY The Chinese) already show a BIG impact here.

I came away with similar thoughts, Awinkl. After watching the segments on Cambodia and Myanmar, it was hard not to think that China isn't trying to expand its influence in all of southeast Asia. It also caused me to wonder anew if Thailand's immigration policies might not be designed to curb Western influence in an area China seeks to dominate and exploit for its own gain going forward. And IF (and please note I said if) the current Thai government has 'sold its soul to the devil' by embracing China's vision for Thailand's future as a colony of China, that would go a long way towards explaining the current Thai government's almost repressive mentality towards Thailand's rural poor. In other words, as in China, the rural poor cannot willy nilly migrate to urban areas on a wing and a prayer of finding work. They are told, in effect, your place is on the farm. The Thai government's lack of investment in rural education, crack downs on street vendors, even the crack down on the sex industry which provided an avenue of escape from rural poverty can be interpreted as keeping control over the rural peasant class, much as it appears is being done in China.

 

It was also interesting to hear that the Chinese were attracted to Sihanoukville as a beach destination. I can't help but wonder that beyond the obligatory visits to Bangkok's major tourist attractions like The Grand Palace, that the beach isn't a primary motive for the Chinese to come to Thailand as well. If that's the case, Thailand's problem is getting those Chinese to the beach, infrastructure wise. Yes, you can fly to Koh Samui and Phuket, and Pattaya's just a few hours outside of Bangkok, but otherwise, Thailand's roads and mass transportation system aren't really capable of handling mass tourism. Makes me think that Chinese tourism isn't going to rise to TAT's glorious hopes for the future.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Gecko123

[NightSky]

its not for good listening is it. 

 

Sihanoukville is now little China ???????? 

 

it it wouldn’t be half as bad if the Chinese were taught manners and respect, they walk in front of you as if you don’t exist. 

Edited August 5, 2019 by NightSky

[AgMech Cowboy]

Thanks for bringing this documentary to us. Very interesting about what the BRI is actually about.

 

I definitely see the canal being dug across Southern Thailand in the future; although, maybe Singapore can convince them to not cut them off.  Might even see this start in the next 10 years... Maybe...

Edited August 5, 2019 by AgMech Cowboy

[Awinkl]

On a recent Cruise I found several BIG Chinese Projects as far away as Mozambique & Cape Verde Islands - places that truly can't afford to pay back the Loans that China gave them to finance such projects - and yet, their younger Generations will be burdened with such debts throughout their Lifetime .... and beyond.

[mfd101]

39 minutes ago, Awinkl said:

On a recent Cruise I found several BIG Chinese Projects as far away as Mozambique & Cape Verde Islands - places that truly can't afford to pay back the Loans that China gave them to finance such projects - and yet, their younger Generations will be burdened with such debts throughout their Lifetime .... and beyond.

They're a long way away from China. Once the building's complete, just stop paying!

[simon43]

I'm moving up to live in Luang Prabang, full in the knowledge that the new railway link will bring a lot of Chinese tourists into the town.  I've judged that this will not actually affect me in a negative manner because no building work is allowed in the historical town centre (where I'll be living).

 

The presence of many Chinese railway construction workers has brought in Vietnamese 'massage' places on the outskirts of town ????  Also, a big supermarket that is Chinese-owned has opened.  The Chinese plan to build a modern hospital and Hospitality/Tourism college.

 

I'm just trying to figure out how I can make some Yuan from all this....

 

 

 

 

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

On 8/5/2019 at 7:48 PM, Awinkl said:

On a recent Cruise I found several BIG Chinese Projects as far away as Mozambique & Cape Verde Islands - places that truly can't afford to pay back the Loans that China gave them to finance such projects - and yet, their younger Generations will be burdened with such debts throughout their Lifetime .... and beyond.

One belt, one road = One loan, we own

[JimmyTheMook]

22 hours ago, simon43 said:

I'm moving up to live in Luang Prabang, full in the knowledge that the new railway link will bring a lot of Chinese tourists into the town.  I've judged that this will not actually affect me in a negative manner because no building work is allowed in the historical town centre (where I'll be living).

 

The presence of many Chinese railway construction workers has brought in Vietnamese 'massage' places on the outskirts of town ????  Also, a big supermarket that is Chinese-owned has opened.  The Chinese plan to build a modern hospital and Hospitality/Tourism college.

 

I'm just trying to figure out how I can make some Yuan from all this....

 

 

 

 

 

Put on a pretty dress and some lipstick ?