Pied Piper of Borella, BRI and Brisbane

May, 13, 2021

The Silk Road Journal by Mahika Ming

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by the Peoples Republic of China eight years ago is gaining momentum with stability and growth recorded every day (Ref. socio economic statistics of all partner countries involved) especially in a world struggling with the uncertainties of the COVID – 19 pandemic. It is indeed a common expressway to the global community. Those who travel with private agendas and selfish ideologies may not like it but the all states and people in Asia, Africa, Europe and even South America have already realized the value of the global energizer injected through the BRI. The PRC’s non-financial direct investment into partner states and regions in the BRI increased 18.3% year on year to 17.8 billion USD in 2020. Trade along the ancient Silk Road has now become a pathway supporting to transport valuable medical supplies to those suffering amid COVID-19. During January – March 2021, the PRC-Europe train services recorded 3,398 journeys. It was a 75% year on year growth transporting 89,000 tonnes of anti-pandemic supplies across continents by late March (Ref Chinese stats).

Sometimes referred to as the Metal Camels of the 21st Century Silk Road, even Japan which totally destroyed Great China’s first ever automobile production facility and used Chinese farmers as laboratory rats to develop biological weapons in the early 1930s is now transporting Japanese made automobiles to Europe using the Metal Camels of the Silk Road. The BRI in essence is the world’s most effective poverty alleviation programme according to many analysts. As per World Bank reports the BRI projects will help lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty across the world by 2030.

By 2021 January, 171 countries and international organizations have partnered with the BRI with 205 cooperation agreements signed with the PRC on various joint collaboration efforts. This indicates that all those with an aim for self development are joining the BRI to work closely with the global community to; fight the pandemic, energize economies, alleviate poverty, fight climate change and other common challenges.

In 2017 USA President while visiting Japan proposed an alternative to the BRI. He invited India, Japan and Australia and other US allies to join that effort. It may be to attract the global community getting closer to the PRC. Due that or some other reason the Australian Federal Government decided recently to tear up Victoria State's BRI agreements with the PRC. Australian academics such as Prof. James Laurenceson of University of Technology, Sydney and Asst. Prof. Michael Clarke of Australian National University have expressed concerns about this move. However, the Australian Federal Government has announced that the Foreign Relations Act is entirely a matter for the Commonwealth government (Federal Government) and it had assured that it will work hard with Victoria State to deliver jobs, trade and economic opportunities without the BRI. State governments seeking opportunities also indicates that there has been short comings in Australian Federal government supporting State governments in creating jobs and energizing economics etc. At the same time those who argue about the Port City Commission acting as a separate state can study this to understand the powers of a Central or a Federal government.

Sri Lankan media reported that an Individual who had lived in Australia for 11 years was charged for insulting and encouraging others to insult a visiting foreign dignitary acting against the Vienna convention at Borella recently. Few were seen acting on his advice but many law abiding citizens were seen safeguarding the country’s image. The public should be wise enough not to dance to the tunes of Pied Pipers such as these. Some Australians also may be thinking that recent developments there is similar to the Pied Piper and the rats but Sri Lankans should remember that we have lesser resources compared to Australia but still we have maintained more than two thousand five hundred year long ties with friends such as China and it has always been advantageous for us.

The writer is an analyst with interests in the financial and sustainable development sectors with postgraduate exposure in the Far East (mahika.ming@gmail.com).

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