ISSN 2674-8053

The ship goes (II)… or visited from Xi Jinping to Europa

Xi Jinping has just returned to China after a “seduction” trip to Italy and France in an attempt to convince the two governments to integrate their ambitious project to unite Asia with Europe and Africa in the reconstitution of what was the greatest integration route economic and civilizational history of humanity: the Silk Road.

As we know. a “Road and Belt Initiaitive” of your inspiration, supported by the trillions of dollars of reserves that the PRC has to carry out the project, seeks to consolidate the dream of the Chinese, for intercontinental integration, turning the Chinese economy into the driving force behind post-industrial geoeconomics. She goes "in tandem” with your other project, equally ambitious, the plan "Made in China 2025”, which elected ten cutting-edge sectors to elevate the People's Republic from a low-tech manufacturing export economy to the pinnacle of civilization 5.0.

Italy was the first stop. Rome received it with a “red carpet” and became the first G-7 country to join the initiative.. Chinese and Italian companies closed partnerships worth US$ 2,8 billion in infrastructure, transport and tourism, among others, raising criticism from the refractory Italian sectors to the project, for which“Rome may have sold its cooperation too cheaply”… Stayed, also, for enthusiasts the bitter taste of not having realized any “emblematic” project, second transpired.

The visit to Paris took place in an entirely different atmosphere.: President Emmanuel Macron acted differently. Following its commitment to keeping the European Union cohesive, he invited the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, to accompany you in dealings with Chinese. The triad conditioned any consideration of the project on China opening, firstly, your market. second transpired, Macron reportedly said that “we, as Europeans, want to play an active part in the Belt and Road project”, to which Merkel added that “that must lead to a certain reciprocity, and we are still wrangling over that a bit.”Even so, contracts were signed in the amount of 40 billions of euros, the vast majority of this amount related to only one operation: the sale of Airbus planes to Chinese companies; that is, four times more than the values ​​negotiated with the Italians.

for the critics, the absence of greater enthusiasm from European interlocutors indicates that the “Belt and Road Initiative” is for now a symbol that lacks substance.

It will be???? What would be the counter-reading?

The efforts and investments of the Chinese in the high-tech sectors have been gigantic. China recently showed the world its first passenger plane”made in China”. Did the same with his first bullet train – who travels to 400 km/h; as well as its “smart” roads, that will recharge electric cars on the move; your robots; and your new satellites. These are symbols that add to the factories and research centers that Apple has in Chinese territory and those of automotive industries such as GM., Volkswagen e Toyota. Intellectual property issues occupy a “secondary” place for the Chinese in this process…that go around, for example by acquiring European high-tech companies, mainly, such as Pirelli and Volvo, thereby “justifying” the transfer of “know how”.

The plan with which China wants “conquer the world” it's the same as D.T.. qualified as “technology theft”, that threatens your country's national security and free competition. This is the issue that is now at the heart of the trade and tariff “war” between the two largest economies on the planet.. China considers its aspirations completely legitimate and calls the US accusations false.: “it's not about national security. It's discriminatory”, said the deputy finance minister, Zhu Guangyao.

This is, as a matter of fact, the fulcrum of all these initiatives and counter-initiatives : “New Silk Road” and “Made in China 2025 Plan” are “children” of the same Chinese dream: The "China Dream” architected by a colonel of the People’s Liberation Army and professor at “China National Defense University”, Liu Mingfu, than in the book of the same title – which Xi refers to all the time -, states that “…what does it mean for China to become the worldÂŽs leading nation? First, it means that ChinaÂŽs economy will lead the world….As China rises to the status of a great power in the 21st century, its aim is nothing less than the top- to be the leader of the modern global economy” (sic).

will be the Europeans, no final, “convinced” to join the Chinese project?

Spooky?…Destabilizing?…Feasible?…

To be continued…

I suggest to friends to read the article below from the BBC:

The ambitious ‘Made in China 2025 plan’’ how Beijing wants to conquer the world

The second largest economy on the planet wants to be the new industrial and technological power. And it's advancing faster than many could have imagined..

Fausto Godoy
Doctor of Public International Law in Paris. He entered the diplomatic career in 1976, served in Brussels embassies, Buenos Aires, New Delhi, Washington, Beijing, Tokyo, Islamabade (where he was Ambassador of Brazil, in 2004). He also completed transitional missions in Vietnam and Taiwan. Lived 15 years in Asia, where he guided his career, considering that the continent would be the most important of the century 21 - forecast that, now, sees closer and closer to reality.