In Pakistan, for example, a deep-water port in Gwadar is being funded by loans from Chinese banks to the tune of $16 billion. The only problem? The interest rate is over 13%, and if Pakistan defaults, China could end up taking all sorts of collateral as compensation - from coal mines to oil pipelines.
Hey look: China is building a rail and highway system that will enable them to invade and occupy Europe and Africa by land.
And the stupid people are helping them and cheering them on.
Sheer hubris.
Who will keep such a road open? Who will ensure it’s bridges remain intact?
I’m not impressed.
I’d be really impressed if they built a tunnel straight through the center of the Earth to reach the U.S.
I wonder if the ChiCaps (Chinese capitalists - not intended to be disrespectful) will take a page from the American politicians’ playbook and put in tolls all up and down the line.
Good on them.
this is the kind of thing the US used to be able to do.
Infrastructure is, after military strength to maintain borders, the primary function of a state IMHO.
We should be able to build a bullet train or hyperloop in a matter of months, straight between any cities in the US we want to, and throw in jail as terrorists and traitors anyone who would oppose it. The Romans knew how to do it: straight line, and kill anyone who has issues with same.
There’s not a lot I want to see government do, but projects like this make me envious.
“The interest rate is over 13%, and if Pakistan defaults, China could end up taking all sorts of collateral as compensation - from coal mines to oil pipelines.”
This is a regular racket that the Chinese perpetrate again and again across the world, especially the poorer countries.
They say they have everything “turn key ready” - the financing, the ability to construct the facilities and infrastructure, skilled labor, equipment, and market for the goods - just sign here. Later, the Chinese kick the legs out from under the operation and bankrupt it (typically by not buying the goods), and seize all the assets at fire sale prices, because they are the bankers for it.
They did it with mining contracts in Mongolia, and all across Africa - their unrestricted playground.
This is either enabled in the first place by corrupting the local Government officials, or they make a push to do so later, to get away with the assets. China is by far the biggest force in corrupting Governments around the world.
Corrupt politicians from around the world beat a path to China’s door to sell out their countries for personal profit - including Americans.
China offers the biggest paydays, full cooperation from all elements of their Government, and world class sophistication in making payments however you need to keep it secret.
This Chinese practice may have been a target of the President’s Emergency Order from December 2017, targeting public corruption and human trafficking.
A four lane highway to every high stakes baccarat casinos!
Explains the interest of McConnell, Biden, and so on in China. Lots of investment potential along such a trade route, if you get in early. Would be like having prime land on Interstate intersections when the Interstates were built here.
China did the same with Hambantota port in Sri Lanka — now it is “given” to the Chinese on a 99 year lease.