China Looks West to Recreate the Silk Road into Central Asia and Beyond
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  China Looks West to Recreate the Silk Road into Central Asia and Beyond
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Author Topic: China Looks West to Recreate the Silk Road into Central Asia and Beyond  (Read 2194 times)
Frodo
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« on: September 07, 2013, 07:17:48 PM »

China Looks West as It Bolsters Regional Ties

By JANE PERLEZ
Published: September 7, 2013


ASTANA, Kazakhstan — President Xi Jinping of China, evoking the camel caravans of the old Silk Road that traversed the ancient plains of Kazakhstan on their way from China to Europe, said Saturday that he wanted to create a contemporary version that would bind together China and its Central Asian neighbors.

Fresh from the Group of 20 summit meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mr. Xi referred to Kazakhstan as an increasingly important energy supplier for China and an anchor for its new “marching westwards” policy, which looks to quickly strengthen economic and strategic relations with Central Asia.

China remains dependent on the Middle East to feed its huge oil needs, but wants to diversify, experts say, so that more oil and gas providers are closer to home. Energy from Central Asia comes via land-based pipelines that are considered safer than the more vulnerable sea routes from the Middle East.

Mr. Xi is visiting four Central Asian countries on his current swing through the region: Turkmenistan, where he stopped last week; Uzbekistan; Kyrgyzstan, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting; and Kazakhstan. In each country, oil and gas, and regional security, are at the top of the agenda.
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Frodo
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« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2013, 07:22:52 PM »

And here is the map of the Silk Road of yore:

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compson III
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« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2013, 09:05:34 PM »

for a more entertaining version consult the always entertaining Pepe Escobar...

apparently I am barred from posting links so I direct you to the current front page of Asia Times online.

note the presence of Mr. Rouhani on the scene...
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Beet
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« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2013, 05:59:55 PM »

Interesting that this "Look West" is supposed to include India... traditionally when Chinese refer to "the West", India is included as well, as it was in the Silk Road. However that would contradict the PLA's incursions across the assumed LOAC this past spring and summer. It seems that an easy way for China to "bolster regional ties" would be to exchange maps with India and formalize the LOAC. It's puzzling to see how the Chinese think that thousands-of-miles long pipelines across Central Asian deserts are more secure than sea lanes.
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compson III
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« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2013, 10:25:13 PM »

Interesting that this "Look West" is supposed to include India... traditionally when Chinese refer to "the West", India is included as well, as it was in the Silk Road. However that would contradict the PLA's incursions across the assumed LOAC this past spring and summer. It seems that an easy way for China to "bolster regional ties" would be to exchange maps with India and formalize the LOAC. It's puzzling to see how the Chinese think that thousands-of-miles long pipelines across Central Asian deserts are more secure than sea lanes.
Perhaps they are in the context of "Air-Sea Battle."
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