Seaway In China

1811 Words8 Pages

Since China’s opening to the world in 1978, the world has changed China and now China is beginning to change the world

INTRODUCTION

1. The oceans provide the most important platform for both peacetime and wartime activities, for the entire spectrum, ranging from peaceful trade to bloody war. Also, “the maritime strategies of the Asian powers are designed primarily to defend their homelands and associated vital national security interests on the oceans and seas”.

2. Two major prophecies regarding the region seem to be ringing true viz Mahan, wherein he had prophesised that the future of the world in the 21st Century would be decided on the waters of the Indian Ocean and Deng Xiaoping, wherein he prophesised that 21st century would be Asia’s …show more content…

Basis. The idea of the MSR was outlined during Xi Jinping’s speech in the Indonesian Parliament in October 2013. He underlined the need to re-establish the centuries-old seaway as the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The main emphasis was placed on stronger economic cooperation, closer cooperation on joint infrastructure projects, the enhancement of security cooperation, and the strengthening of maritime economy, environment technical and scientific cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to promote the connectivity of Asian, European and African continents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among the countries along the Belt and Road, set up all-dimensional, multi-tiered and composite connectivity networks, and realise diversified, independent, balanced and sustainable development in these …show more content…

Development of connective infrastructure — high-speed rail lines, roads and highways, even Internet networks linking western China with central Asia and, ultimately, with points beyond such as Iran and Turkey, finally going to Europe. This multifaceted development of connective infrastructure is meant to enable a second aspect of the “one belt, one road” strategy — expanding trade volumes between China and the vast Eurasian reaches to its West.

(b) Maritime Infrastructure. Construction and development of ports and related facilities that will extend China’s maritime reach across the Indian Ocean and, via the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean basin. Over time, the New Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road will be interwoven through channels like the projected China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor.

(c) Currency. Ensure trade expansion by greater use of local currencies in cross-border exchange, facilitated by the growing number of currency swap arrangements between the People’s Bank of China and other national central banks. (In this regard, “one belt, one road” should reinforce Beijing’s ongoing campaign to promote renminbi as an international transactional and reserve currency.)

(d) Culture. Emphasis on increased cultural exchange and people-to-people contact among countries involved in the “one belt, one road”

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