Sleepy, landlocked Laos is undergoing rapid changes as China builds connections to mainland Southeast Asia ByPepe Escobar, Luang Prabang The small wooden boats slowly make their way down the brown waters of the Mekong at sunset. Flowing meditation – just enjoying the silence, watching the river flow. Then, suddenly, in the distance, an apparition – … Continue reading Where the Silk Roads meet the mighty Mekong
By Jan Krikke Before Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the green light for “Made in China 2025,” he should have consulted Sun Tzu’s classic manual The Art of War: “Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.” What was … Continue reading Making China great again
Russia is keen to push economic integration with parts of Asia and this fits in with China's Belt and Road Initiative By PEPE ESCOBAR The concept of Greater Eurasia has been discussed at the highest levels of Russian academia and policy-making for some time. This week the policy was presented at the Council of Ministers and … Continue reading How the New Silk Roads are merging into Greater Eurasia
The House of Saud's ties to the Khashoggi slaying are being milked by the Turkish President for maximum benefit amid debate on leadership of the Islamic world and how the crisis may affect US and Saudi strategy in the Middle East By Pepe Escobar It was packaged as a stark, graphic message, echoing across Eurasia: … Continue reading Erdogan, MBS, Islamic leadership and the price of silence
In a policy shift, Thai PM Prayut Chan-ocha says state agencies will study the construction of a long-envisioned ocean-linking canal China craves for economic and security reasons By Benjamin Zawacki After demurring for years, Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha last week ordered national planning and security agencies to look into building a possible canal … Continue reading Thailand the missing link in China’s Maritime Silk Road
