Should we fear the China Belt and Road? – Possibly
Imagine a world where 1.5 billion people are forced to live in a desert of their own making, China is just that.
Beijing is a dangerously polluted city surrounded by farmland that has turned to dust. In 2012, the World Health Organization reported over 1 million Chinese deaths due to air pollution. Sometimes the air pollution has been so bad that it was called an aerial apocalypse. Levels of particulate matter (PM) are frequently recorded reaching record highs affecting 800 million people. PM refers to the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye, others equally harmful cannot be seen.
The Gobi Desert once the revered and fortified protector of the Chinese empire. Now he has gone from protector to invader. 500,000 miles of northern China and southern Mongolia are now a barren wasteland, consisting only of sand. Once fertile land is now arid dust bowls that cover entire areas of China. The Gobi Desert is the fastest growing desert on earth each year and transforms 2,250 miles (approximately 3,621 km) of grassland into a sandy desert.
These sands are whipped by winds that pollute more than 1 million square miles and then combine with industrial pollution. Beijing’s air quality index recently peaked at 620, a rating classified as “beyond the index.” To put the US government label in perspective: Above 200 as very unhealthy, above 301-500 is considered dangerous.
Desertification is a type of land degradation whereby previously fertile soil is transformed into arid land. Indeed, it is the process of areas becoming deserts, and the causes are both man-made and climate-induced. China’s frenzied development campaigns in the 20th century devastated the country’s timber resources, and this deforestation coupled with overgrazing, wind erosion, and the depletion of water resources accelerated desertification in the second half of the century.
I will not elaborate on this point, but China’s military aspirations are quickly becoming a reality. The South China Sea is a point of confinement. Add all this up and consider using the China Belt and Road Scheme, then the surprise begins to be suspicious.
Let’s cover the Chinese government guidelines which, as we all know, are set in stone. The State Council of China established three rules or categories for foreign investment, what Chinese companies can and cannot buy: “prohibited”, “restricted” and “encouraged”. Casinos and military technology are prohibited, while the restriction includes hotel and property development. But investment in agriculture and infrastructure is encouraged. Then consider using the new silk road.
Title 1. China will become the largest foreign owner of Australian farmland.
In 1850, the Chinese came in droves in search of wealth thanks to the new gold rush. Then they stayed, employed to help create some of the most fertile farms in the world. Now they’re back in a form of another gold rush: they’re buying farms like Cubbie Station in Queensland, Van Diemen’s Land Company’s dairy operation in Tasmania, Nicoletti Farms in Western Australia, and a stake in the vast S Kidman & Co cattle empire. they are just a few well-known agricultural companies that are now fully or partially in Chinese hands. In recent years, Chinese investors have made an unprecedented wave of purchases of Australian farmland. According to the latest Agricultural Land Foreign Ownership Register, Chinese ownership of Australian farmland has increased tenfold in the last year alone. They now control 14.4 million hectares. China is poised to overtake the UK as the largest foreign owner of Australian farmland, a mantle that dates back to at least the last gold rush. The shopping spree comes with the blessing of the Chinese government, even at a time when the Chinese government is concerned about the flow of capital out of China.
Title 2. China Belt and Road Program Has Ports Around the World The Buying Wave from China’s Seaports:
What China is gaining by buying the world’s ports, China, through its state maritime and shipping companies, has historically quietly bought ports around the world. Now, under his 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), the maritime part of his Belt and Road initiative matters, his ambitions are taking shape. News of the acquisition of a new port appears almost daily. Ports in Greece, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Africa and Australia have already been acquired.
Title 3. Control of western infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, etc.
Huawei has the ability to eavesdrop and access the most sensitive information that flows freely through networks around the world. Perhaps all this is innocent but given its size, given the abject destruction of lands. They are clearly concerned for the welfare of their citizens.
A good friend once told me that the belt scheme is in theory good, but in practice it is a way for China to get out of China. Think about it! For my part, I suspect your intentions.