News Forum - Xi Jinping’s bullet train gift sparks China-Thailand railway reality

[Thaiger]

A replica of China’s Fuxing bullet train, bedecked in Thailand’s national colours and gifted during the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok in November 2022, now finds itself at the epicentre of a transformative railway saga between China and Thailand. As the wheels of progress turn, the construction of the China-Thailand Railway, a flagship … …

The story Xi Jinping’s bullet train gift sparks China-Thailand railway reality as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[MrStretch]

I'll say it again.  China is NOT Thailand's friend and never will be.  They are just a future colonial power.

Srettha seems so intent on his relying on "Big Brother China" that he, along with many others only looking to fill their wallets, have neglected to see that China historically is expanding its physical territory.

This Road and Belt Initiative, and the subsequent high speed rail through this country is nothing more than future infrastructure for a physical invasion of Chinese nationals, by military force, if needed.

[Pinetree]

China has got Thailand by the balls and are slowly squeezing them.  They have the UK similarly ball sacked. China is also Australia's major training partner and China holds most of the US debt.  So who are the hypocrites here?  Answer please from the naïve knob ends buying Chinese EVs, and MGs, in their thousands. 

P.S who will be watching the Chinese F1 race and happy that it is coming back after the 4 years since China tried to kill half of the World's population? 

[Poolie]

29 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

I'll say it again.  China is NOT Thailand's friend and never will be.  They are just a future colonial power.

Srettha seems so intent on his relying on "Big Brother China" that he, along with many others only looking to fill their wallets, have neglected to see that China historically is expanding its physical territory.

This Road and Belt Initiative, and the subsequent high speed rail through this country is nothing more than future infrastructure for a physical invasion of Chinese nationals, by military force, if needed.

Spoken like a man who reads too much western press AND tragically believes it.

[MrStretch]

1 hour ago, Poolie said:

Spoken like a man who reads too much western press AND tragically believes it.

Nope, spoken like a man who reads and understands history and modern international machinations.

[Poolie]

1 hour ago, MrStretch said:

Nope, spoken like a man who reads and understands history and modern international machinations.

If you say so.

[Pinetree]

4 hours ago, MrStretch said:

This Road and Belt Initiative, and the subsequent high speed rail through this country is nothing more than future infrastructure for a physical invasion of Chinese nationals, by military force, if needed.

As importantly to the Chinese, its a way of reducing the economic importance of Singapore.  They have been out to 'get' Singapore for at least the last 50 years. 

[Vigo]

I am not as discouraged as some people are by China's activity. They have every right to do this.  On the contrary, the more China chases after these countries, the more likely China will get dinged.

https://apnews.com/article/china-debt-banking-loans-financial-developing-countries-collapse-8df6f9fac3e1e758d0e6d8d5dfbd3ed6

A dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China. An Associated Press analysis of a dozen countries most indebted to China — including Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos and Mongolia

Ever notice that when the social activists demand debt relief for poor countries, they never make the demand to China, and China  has the most onerous and unforgiving of debt agreements. At some point, these client states will default and China can take a haircut.

Best of all China pushed in to become one of Africa's biggest creditors. Now China is finding out how  difficult it is to collect from some countries.    https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/01/12/the-new-face-of-chinafrica-is-marked-by-a-dramatic-drop-in-lending-to-the-continent_6427213_19.html

The west is looking better and better.  Maybe Russia can step in and  back some of these countries.

 

 

 

[Khunmark]

11 hours ago, Vigo said:

I am not as discouraged as some people are by China's activity. They have every right to do this.  On the contrary, the more China chases after these countries, the more likely China will get dinged.

https://apnews.com/article/china-debt-banking-loans-financial-developing-countries-collapse-8df6f9fac3e1e758d0e6d8d5dfbd3ed6

A dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China. An Associated Press analysis of a dozen countries most indebted to China — including Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos and Mongolia

Ever notice that when the social activists demand debt relief for poor countries, they never make the demand to China, and China  has the most onerous and unforgiving of debt agreements. At some point, these client states will default and China can take a haircut.

Best of all China pushed in to become one of Africa's biggest creditors. Now China is finding out how  difficult it is to collect from some countries.    https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2024/01/12/the-new-face-of-chinafrica-is-marked-by-a-dramatic-drop-in-lending-to-the-continent_6427213_19.html

The west is looking better and better.  Maybe Russia can step in and  back some of these countries.

The debt trap diplomacy that you allude to here has been debunked as a myth. If China are guilty of anything, it is an absence of oversight of their creditor countries. Both in the feasibility of of the projects and the capacity of the borrower to service its debt. In the cases where the project has not been profitable, it’s notable China has resisted debt to equity exchange and have opted for renegotiations.
 

As an aside the countries that have defaulted on their loans (Zambia, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and Ghana) took out those loans via institutions not aligned to BRI. These were arranged through shorter term private equity funds backed by Wall Street, with more onerous conditions.

As the citizenry of the borrower south are aware, the onus for the failed projects that have occurred where BRI has been involved, falls with the incompetent and/or corrupt  government officials charged with negotiating the terms of the loan and not with the Chinese lenders.

The following research paper provides a comprehensive insight into several relevant projects regarding debt trap diplomacy;

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19480881.2023.2195280

[Khunmark]

19 hours ago, MrStretch said:

I'll say it again.  China is NOT Thailand's friend and never will be.  They are just a future colonial power.

Srettha seems so intent on his relying on "Big Brother China" that he, along with many others only looking to fill their wallets, have neglected to see that China historically is expanding its physical territory.

This Road and Belt Initiative, and the subsequent high speed rail through this country is nothing more than future infrastructure for a physical invasion of Chinese nationals, by military force, if needed.

The invasion stuff that you refer to is not based on any precedence. If you were citing Russia, you would have had a reasonable case. However, outside of Taiwan (where the claims of sovereignty by the Taiwanese are equally contentious ) and the nine dash line (which is an arbitrary territorial grab) China has never entertained imperial  ambitions. Their historical narrative focuses on their humiliations rather than their conquests.