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China’s Influence Reaches Caribbean, Unsettles US: Report

By LokMarg 24th June 2023

Amidst the tension between US and China, Beijing’s influence has reached the Caribbean as the 10 nations of the region have participated in the “Belt and Road” initiative, which is a big issue for Washington DC, The New York Post reported.

10 Caribbean nations– Grenada, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname and Cuba– have participated in the Belt and Road initiative.

According to The New York Post, most of the borrower nations choose China over the US as the former offers a cheap, no-questions-asked alternative, while America prides itself on upholding a “rules-based international order” which is burdensome for the developing states.

Chinese development banks offered a less time-consuming process than Western-dominated multilateral lending institutions, demanded less transparency and disclosure, and were often willing to supply credit at below-market interest rates,” explains Scott B. MacDonald in a recent report for the Jamestown Foundation.

And the nations that don’t sell their sovereignty willingly nonetheless face “the possibility China could use leverage gained through lending or ‘debt-trap diplomacy’ as a means for Beijing to gain control over strategic assets like harbours and railways.”

Moreover, China uses its economic pull to maximum political effect, as per The New York Post.

Honduras, another Caribbean nation, has become part of the Belt and Road which stands to gain greater investment in hydroelectric power, among other perks.

Chinese influence throughout Latin America is growing, but the Caribbean has special significance.

Five of the remaining 12 United Nations member states that recognize Taipei as a national capital are Caribbean — Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize.

Even if China can’t lure them all into Belt and Road, these countries increasingly have to think about Beijing as they navigate relationships with their own neighbours. China’s strategic interests are now locally embedded.

Where superpowers are concerned, globalization is never just an economic phenomenon. It’s political — and military — too.

Diplomatically isolating Taiwan is one of China’s aims in the Caribbean, reported The New York Post. (ANI)

Xi Jinping Holds Meet With France Prez Emmanuel Macron

By LokMarg 6th April 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping today held a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Beijing, Xinhua reported. On Wednesday, Macron arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit to China at the invitation of Xi.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Macron said that he will discuss about climate, business, bio-diversity and food security with Xi Jinping. Macron’s visit to China comes amid Europe’s efforts to find a path to peace in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He tweeted, “I am convinced that China has a major role to play in building peace. This is what I have come to discuss, to move forward on. With President XI Jinping, we will also talk about our businesses, the climate and biodiversity, and food security.”

On April 5, Macron addressed the French community in China, the Elysee Palace said in a statement. He began by saluting the medical and nursing staff and the management of French schools and teachers for their sense of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Macron spoke about the objectives of his visit to China.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that he wants to engage China in shared responsibility for peace and stability, strengthen the trade ties between France and China and reinitiate a common framework for action on major international issues such as the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.

Macron recalled the importance of reviving cultural ties between France and China in 2023 to prepare for the year 2024, which will be the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the year of Franco-Chinese cultural tourism and the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and China., according to the Elysee Palace statement.

French President visited the RedBrick museum in Beijing to attend the opening of the 17th edition of the Festival Croisements. He noted that this festival remains the largest foreign festival in China with 15 million spectators since its creation, according to the statement.

Earlier on April 4, Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation with US President Joe Biden. During the phone-call, the two leaders had spoken about Macron’s visit to China.

The White House said in a statement, “The two leaders discussed President Macron’s upcoming travel to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They also reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.” (ANI)

China’s Nuke Stockpile To Swell To 1500 By 2035: US Report

By LokMarg 30th November 2022

With the aim to modernize, diversify, and expand nuclear forces, China has accelerated its nuclear expansion and plans to field a stockpile of about 1500 warheads by its 2035 timeline.

In a report titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Pentagon said Beijing probably accelerated its nuclear expansion last year, surpassing the operational 400 nuclear warheads stockpile.
“The Department of Defence estimates that the PRC’s operational nuclear warheads stockpile has surpassed 400,” the US Defense Department said in the report.

“The PLA (People’s Liberation Army) plans to basically complete modernization of its national defence and armed forces by 2035. If China continues the pace of its nuclear expansion, it will likely field a stockpile of about 1500 warheads by its 2035 timeline,” it adds.

According to Pentagon, the PRC aims to modernize, diversify, and expand its nuclear forces over the next decade. Compared to the PLA’s nuclear modernization efforts a decade ago, current efforts exceed previous modernization attempts in both scale and complexity, the report said.

“The PRC is investing in and expanding the number of its land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms and constructing the infrastructure necessary to support this major expansion of its nuclear forces,” it adds.

On the “operational structure and activities on china’s periphery,” the Pentagon report said the PRC continues to refine military reforms associated with the establishment of the Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central Theater Commands, based on its perception of peripheral threats.

The Western Theater Command, oriented toward India and counterterrorism missions along China’s Central Asia borders, is geographically the largest theater command within the PRC and is responsible for responding to conflict with India and terrorist threats in western China, the report said.

According to Pentagon, PLA units located within the Western Theater Command include 76th and 77th Group Armies and ground forces subordinate to Xinjiang and Xizang Military Districts; three PLAAF bases, one transportation division, and one flying academy; and one PLARF base.

“PAP units responsible for internal security operations are also likely under the control of the Western Theater Command. Within China, the Western Theater Command focuses on Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Regions, where the CCP perceives a high threat of separatism and terrorism, particularly among Uyghur populations in Xinjiang,” it adds. (ANI)

Xi Tightens His Grip Over China, Buckles Up For Diplomacy

By LokMarg 3rd November 2022

After securing his third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and tightening his grip over Beijing, Xi Jinping has now geared up to practice diplomacy as the Chinese President has a busy diplomatic schedule ahead of G20 in Bali. He is also planning to rebuild relations with Europe that got disrupted due to Beijing’s human rights violations involving Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Nikkei Asia reported.

As Xi Jinping has already rejigged members for the politburo in the new term and has tightened his grip on the country, it will be interesting to see how the Chinese leader interacts with US President Joe Biden to discuss relations between the two countries during the G-20 summit in Bali.
It is predicted that Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s re-election as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the head of the state for the next five years will witness more hard-lined policies with regard to the economy, foreign relations, human rights, and public dissent.

Xi sent the National Committee on US-China Relations a message last Wednesday saying China stands ready to work with the US to find the right way to get along with each other to which Biden also sent a congratulatory message, Nikkei Asia reported.

The thing of most interest will be whether Xi meets face-to-face with US President at the G-20 summit as the two leaders have only held telephonic conversations since Biden took his position at the White House.

Moreover, Xi’s diplomacy is seen with the neighboring nations too after securing the third term as on Monday, he received the leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, for a meeting in Beijing. Notably, the two countries are involved in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is in line to become a top diplomat spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by phone on Monday (local time) and discussed the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the Sino-American relationship, Nikkei Asia reported citing the US State Department readout.

After securing his third term, Xi has surpassed China’s great leader Mao Zedong, hailed as the ‘red sun’. However, with an emboldened Xi, we might witness a world worse than what Mao created, reported Voices Against Autocracy.

Xi’s comfortable filling the Politburo Standing Committee with his close allies forebodes a future where there would be no one in the Chinese political elite to stop him from doing as he pleases, no matter how that might impact the country and the world at large.

The emphasis on security has particularly accelerated under Xi’s reign, as he tides to maintain his political relevance amidst slowing economic growth and the rising geo-political tension with the West. Added to these is the recent surge in internal protests by Chinese citizens against the establishment for a plethora of issues, including the draconian lockdown-led zero-COVID strategy and economic hardships. (ANI)

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Xi Jinping Elected Chinese President For 3rd Term

Shehbaz Meets Chinese Prez Xi In Beijing

By LokMarg 2nd November 2022

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, becoming the first head of state to visit China since Xi’s re-election for the third time.

This is also Sharif’s first visit to China since assuming office in April this year and follows his meeting with Xi in Uzbekistan in September.
“During his maiden 2-days visit to China, PM Shehbaz Sharif and President Xi Jinping met at the People’s Great Hall of China to discuss broad-based cooperation in economy and investment and exchanged views on regional and global developments,” tweeted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Sharif is heading a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He is also scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li Keqiang to review the All-Weather Strategic Cooperation Partnership between China and Pakistan.

Ahead of his visit Sharif in an opinion piece for Chinese media outlet Global Times on October 30 said: “I would be soon in Beijing on my first bilateral visit after assuming office, and that too at an opportune time, soon after the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.”

“For Pakistan, relations with China form the cornerstone of our foreign policy; in China, Pakistan is described as Ba Tie i.e. China’s Iron Brother, and elsewhere our ties are appreciated for their unique strength, enduring permanence, and unfathomable trust,” he wrote.

Before leaving for China, Sharif said that his discussions with Chinese leadership will focus on the revitalization of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor among many other things.

“My discussions with Chinese leadership will focus on the revitalization of CPEC among many other things. 2nd phase of CPEC promises to usher in a new era of socio-economic progress that will uplift the quality of our people’s lives. There is a lot to learn from the Chinese economic miracle,” Sharif tweeted.

CPEC’s next phase of high-quality development will encompass key areas such as industry, energy, agriculture, ICT, rail and road network, and developing Gwadar Port as a hub of trade and transshipment, investment, and regional connectivity.

Meanwhile, China raised the issue of the safety and security of Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan ahead of Sharif’s visit.

Xi Jinping was elected General Secretary of the Chinese communist party for the third time in the recently held 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party where he was elected as the general secretary and head of the pary for the next five years. (ANI)

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Chinese Preparations For A Post-Dalai Era

By LokMarg 1st November 2022

China’s attempt at Sinicization of the Tibetan Buddhist identity is no hidden secret to the world, however, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) extensive plans to control the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama reveals the sinister designs of Beijing’s post-Dalai Lama era.

Recently, two internal documents recovered by a Tibetan researcher revealed the extensive plans of the CCP to control the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama, reported Tibet Press.
Although the 14th Dalai Lama has made it clear that the reincarnation process would only initiate within the value systems and preaching of Buddhism; and any attempt to superficially name a successor by the CCP would remain discredited within Buddhist communities around the world as well as in the Tibetan region.

However, China has been reaching out to other international Buddhist communities through financial investments as well as facilitating the renovation of important Buddhist sites and financing the construction of monuments with Buddhist linkages, reported Tibet Press.

The investments in the regions, specifically in Southeast Asia, which has a majority Buddhist population, have been invariably linked to the multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

The CCP views the next selected Dalai Lama to be a part of their outreach of quenching the Tibetan question while also curbing the growing animosity within the region by installing a leader of their choice and not through the religious process of Buddhism.

This in itself is a significant cause for concern for regions and countries that value human rights and have constantly voiced their worry on the same, reported Tibet Press.

The report published by the International Tibet Network and Tibet Justice Centre in a similar understanding as that discussed above examined elaborately the Chinese preparations for a ‘Post Dalai Era’.

The specific connotation of an era post the 14th Dalai Lama, the report states is adopted in order to convey China’s plan to capitalize on the succession race once the 14th Dalai Lama is no more, reported Tibet Press.

It is quite evident that the CCP is concerting all its efforts to exploit the inevitable passing of the Dalai Lama to cement its stronghold upon the troubled region.

This invariably addresses many issues for the CCP in one go itself.

Firstly, it addresses a long-standing debate on who rules over the Tibetan region; China’s legitimacy has always been questioned due to the presence of the Dalai Lama in India.

Secondly, it helps the Chinese administration to quell human rights violations in the region by asserting dominance in the region through a self-installed Dalai Lama over the Autonomous Tibetan region.

Finally, the succession also has worldwide implications in terms of Chinese hawkish aspirations in and around its neighbourhood, reported Tibet Press. (ANI)

Jaishankar Lauds Blinken For Giving Strong Counter-Terrorism Message

By LokMarg 29th October 2022

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday praised US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken for his strong and clear message on counter-terrorism.

He also discussed the Ukraine conflict and other regional issues with Blinken.
“Thanked him for his strong and clear message yesterday on counter-terrorism and 26/11 accountability. Discussed the Ukraine conflict and other regional issues,” tweeted EAM Jaishankar.

In an apparent message to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said all relevant parties should support the designation of terrorists and no nation should stand in the way.

He delivered this message via virtual statement during an informal briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee at one of the main sites that saw the Mumbai terror attacks – the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. Beijing this month put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime.

Addressing the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee members, Blinken said many members of the security council, including the United States, have adopted their own sanctions against the terrorists behind these attacks.

“But our efforts are more effective when we act together, which is why we worked with India to put the nomination to designate several terrorists through the UN 1267 committee. All relevant parties should support this designation and no nation should stand in the way,” he said.

In his message to the UN committee members, the top US diplomat said Washington is joining New Delhi and people around the world to mourn lives lost, including 141 Indians, 6 Americans, and victims from 15 other countries from every region in the world.

Blinken said India, the United States, and all nations around the world have a responsibility to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and to bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks.

“We have a responsibility to the victims and the people everywhere to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks including their masterminds. That’s what the US is working to do, together with India and other partners for the last 14 years,” he added.

“Because if we allow the attacks of these attacks go unpunished, we send messages to terrorists everywhere that their heinous crimes will be tolerated,” he added.

Speaking at the counter-terrorism briefing, Jaishankar said the world knows that money is the lifeblood of terrorism.

“Terrorist organizations require funds and resources to maintain their organizational functions and undertake activities. The reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth: that terrorism continues to get the necessary financial resources to thrive,” he added. (ANI)

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Kuwait Saves Itself From Falling Into Guanxi Trap

By LokMarg 22nd October 2022

Kuwaiti government seems to have understood the Chinese Guanxi trap which is synonymous with bribery and corruption in China.

But its latest move of excluding Chinese-sponsored Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG) from Al-Mutla’s waste water purification plant shows that the country is rectifying its past mistakes.
According to Financial Post, Guanxi is a system of mutually beneficial relationships that works as a lubricant for the wheels of the business transaction and is often synonymous with bribery and corruption in China.

Recently, Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works disqualified the BEWG’s tender for setting up a wastewater treatment plant for Al-Mutla’s sewage station. Kuwaiti Public Works administration said that the reason behind the disqualification of BEWG’s bid was based on the ground that it was earlier involved in bribing the officials to secure the Umm Al Hayman project.

After this revelation, Kuwait’s crown prince Sheikh Al-Ahmed has directed investigative agencies to nab those involved in maladministration and misdeeds, reported Financial Post.

Financial Post reported citing the ministry of Public Works’ report that the Chinese companies are indulging in malpractices for gaining an advantage to win contracts in Kuwait.

China-sponsored companies participating in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects are another manifestation of Beijing’s malafide intentions. There are widespread instances of bribery with a reported 60-85 percent of Chinese firms paying bribes to secure projects under BRI. Chinese firms are known offenders of peddling influence.

Apart from payments to lower-level bureaucrats, there have also been several notable scandals involving senior political figures receiving illegal gratification from Chinese companies, reported Financial Post.

Chinese companies are the least transparent as per Financial Post citing Transparency International’s study in 2019 based on 100 firms in 15 emerging markets. Poor business practices including delays in the completion of projects are endemic to BRI projects. Numerous Chinese firms have been debarred from World Bank and multilateral development banks for fraud and corruption including inflating costs to give bribes.

Kuwait is not the line example. In Malaysia and Kenya also the Chinese government used its Guanxi trap to gain advantages in the contracts.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ouster in May 2018 was linked to Chinese projects under BRI. China poured out the money into Malaysia’s state development fund 1 Malaysia Berhad, known as 1MDB, by inflating the cost of infrastructure projects, Financial Post reported citing Wall Street Journal.

In exchange, China received the freedom of access to major national rail and port projects in Malaysia. Whereas in Kenya, the prosecution of Chinese officials on corruption charges showed that to bypass the systemic procedure, China employed illegitimate tactics. Kenya is facing unimaginable debt resulting from a railway project that has exceeded its budget and yielded unexpectedly low results.

These case studies corroborate the widely held beliefs that China exploits countries to provide impetus to its BRI projects. To build infrastructure projects in other countries, the interested party naturally needs to go through sets of official procedures of the recipient country. However, to bypass these procedures, China indulges in corrupt practices and executes projects abroad through unsavory means, according to Financial Post. (ANI)

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Hu Jintao Mysteriously Escorted Out In Front Of Xi Jinping

By LokMarg 22nd October 2022

Former Chinese president Hu Jintao was unexpectedly escorted out of the ‘Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday during the closing ceremony of a congress of the ruling Communist Party.

Hu Jintao, 79, was removed by unnamed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents during today’s closing ceremony of the congress, which is held once in five years.
The reason is unclear as to why the Chinese leader was removed, and more details were awaited.

However, information about such incidents is rarely revealed by China.

As Hu was being removed, the former leader looked at Xi Jinping and had a conversation that was not audible to the cameras that captured the moment.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was also seen next to Xi, who also remained stone-faced and did not react as the former Chinese president was being removed.

According to a Reuters report, the Chinese Communist Party amended its constitution to make Xi Jinping the “Core” of its party. It is now expected that Xi Jinping will remain the final authority in China.

Xi is widely expected to become Party’s General Secretary, paving way for him to secure an unprecedented third term as Chinese president.

The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party will conclude today.

He will either be re-elected as general secretary of the CCP or will be newly elected as chairman of the CCP, a title that has lain dormant since 1982 and was once the highest position ever held by Mao Zedong.

The congress is taking place at one of the most perilous periods in international affairs in recent years. A war is raging in Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin attempts to burnish his credentials as a great Russian leader, and China remains a staunch supporter of this would-be tsar.

At the same time, Taiwan Strait tensions are at their highest in decades, as China attempts to pummel Taipei into acquiescence.

Moreover, diplomatic tensions with the US, the after-effects of a global pandemic, and China’s own paranoid efforts to stamp out COVID-19, and all the ingredients for a brewing storm are present. (ANI)

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China May Use Pak As Proxy To Arm Myanmar Junta

By LokMarg 4th October 2022

Even as the world’s eyes are fixed on ongoing rights abuses in Myanmar, China has tried to engage with the military regime in the Southeast Asian country while hoping to export military hardware to the junta.

Since the Myanmar military launched its “disastrous” coup last year, an UN-appointed independent human rights expert said that conditions have worsened, “by any measure”.
“With each report, I have warned that unless UN Member States change course in the way they collectively respond to this crisis, the people of Myanmar will suffer even further,” UN expert Tom Andrews told the Human Rights Council in Geneva last month.

He said that conditions have “gone from bad to worse, to horrific for untold numbers of innocent people in Myanmar”. Andrews presented a grim assessment of 1.3 million displaced people.

Writing for The Irrawaddy news, a regional political analyst, since the coup in February 2021, Beijing has been careful to engage not only with the junta but to open an informal dialogue with the parallel National Unity Government (NUG).

“But China is not a trusted neighbor, and Beijing’s undisclosed support of the Myanmar military is being closely monitored. “Unlike Russia, China cannot openly sell arms to the regime,” said Yan Naing, a pseudonym for a political analyst on Myanmar and China.

Citing intelligence sources, Yan suggested that Beijing is considering using Pakistan as an intermediary to sell and export military hardware to the junta.

“With coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing making repeated visits to Russia with a shopping list for jet fighters, helicopters, and missiles, China is concerned that it will lose Myanmar as a customer for its weapons,” the political analyst said.

In recent years, Pakistan’s security ties and defense cooperation with Myanmar have increased since the military takeover. Pakistan is reportedly delivering two JF-17 Thunder Block-II aircraft to the Myanmar Air Force, according to Yan.

He argues that the Military junta is also considering purchasing heavy machine guns and grenade launchers from Pakistan.

Yan states that security experts claim that China has covertly increased its engagement with the Myanmar military. Beijing has got Islamabad involved as a proxy to supply weapons to the regime, he adds.

The regional political further argues that Beijing is wary of the anti-China sentiment in Myanmar and the likely backlash if it is seen to be supplying arms to the junta. (ANI)

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