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China
- Thread starter Tigers of Old
- Start date
Ghanaian news sources, Google Search etc.
Also see Zambia, DRC, Tanzania etc etc etc.
I don’t have the information about the program to know if it’s against the National interest as it won’t be disclosed.
Federal ALP don’t support Andrews signing this agreement from what I read.
But what I do know is that the Federal government should have the final say on agreements like this. And if Dan Andrews thinks it’s still a great idea he should be able to reflect to us as voters and to the federal government in an open and transparent way why this good for both Victoria and Australia as a whole.
Not on my life. Trust them as far as I can kick them.
I'm not sure it's a great idea either tbh.
I think its reasonable that the one making claims should also provide supporting information, particularly when challenged. Why can't you link an article or two which summarizes your position? Also, did the Chinese build the infrastructure or did they just supply finding to do it? What made the shoddiness of the infrastructure China's fault?
FWIW i don't trust the chinese government at all, but i also don't trust our federal government to not play politics with this issue either. The cynic in me says this is another deadcat strategy to distract from the negative press the gov has been copping on aged care, similar to last weeks Oxford vaccine announcement.
I can't find much thats hugely critical, certainly nothing that paints it as not being in the national interest. This article in The Conversation specifically states that none of the proposed Vic projects are going to be telecommunications related:
Why is there so much furore over China's Belt and Road Initiative?
China has grand plans for its US$1 trillion Belt and Road initiative to remake the world order. Here’s what’s driving China’s ambitions – and why the west is nervous.
theconversation.com
This Forbes article goes into some of the issues but they seem to relate to a lack of risk mitigation which hopefully would not be an issue for Vic. again nothing that seems to relate to security concerns:
How China Is Losing Support For Its Belt And Road Initiative
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been around for the better part of a decade but the world isn’t any closer to understanding what it actually is.
www.forbes.com
I can't find much thats hugely critical, certainly nothing that paints it as not being in the national interest. This article in The Conversation specifically states that none of the proposed Vic projects are going to be telecommunications related:
Why is there so much furore over China's Belt and Road Initiative?
China has grand plans for its US$1 trillion Belt and Road initiative to remake the world order. Here’s what’s driving China’s ambitions – and why the west is nervous.
This Forbes article goes into some of the issues but they seem to relate to a lack of risk mitigation which hopefully would not be an issue for Vic. again nothing that seems to relate to security concerns:
How China Is Losing Support For Its Belt And Road Initiative
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been around for the better part of a decade but the world isn’t any closer to understanding what it actually is.
If you don't call swapping 5% of your Bauxite & Manganese resources and 10% of your Oil & Gas Resources in perpetuity, without any royalty payments, for some poorly built roads I guess it's all good.
In 2010 they offered the Ghanaian Government a new highway between Accra and Kumasi - for free. Imported all the labour, all the gear, even the camps for the labour to live in. Started at either end of the still perfectly serviceable existing highway and started ripping it up. After two months all that was left was a goat track and most of the Chinese labour had taken their gear and disappeared into the forests to conduct illegal gold mining activities. When the Government asked when they'd start building the new highway the "negotiations" started.
If Dan thinks he can outfox the CCP he's living in a world of delusion.
I've given what I consider a reasonable example (see above). Saw it first hand in my second stint in country.
As for poorly built?
The highway was eventually "finished" in 2012 and in 2015 the Ghanaian Government started calling for tenders to redo the job.
Hmmm, to me there's a certain amount of hypocrisy here. Th Feds have allowed the Chinese to buy mines, various manufacturing industries, including food, farms etc. They've even allowed a couple of airports to be built in North Western Australia.
That to me is just as much against "The National Interest" as the Belt & Roads initiative.
That to me is just as much against "The National Interest" as the Belt & Roads initiative.
There's no doubt about that.
That coupled with the fact that Australian companies wouldn't get reciprocal rights in China says we should be keeping them very much at arms length.
State governments would be making agreements with all sorts of foreign entities all the time, federal oversight would seem to be overkill, not to mention hypocrisy on the part of the federal government who seem hell bent on removing environmental controls (green tape) but want to add controls on anything which is politically interesting to them, thus adding red tape.
I wouldn't trust the Chinese government either. Mind you, I doubt Ghana was much surprised by being fleeced as part of an aid project, that has been going on for years. Most aid money from Western countries is spent in the country supposedly providing the aid to prop up their own companies, the amount of outdated an unsellable equipment sent to poor countries as aid is legion. China is not doing anything new here. Aid as an avenue for entry to a country is very common - give them aid by giving them equipment which means they then have to buy spare parts off a company in the aid giving country is common.
DS
I wouldn't trust the Chinese government either. Mind you, I doubt Ghana was much surprised by being fleeced as part of an aid project, that has been going on for years. Most aid money from Western countries is spent in the country supposedly providing the aid to prop up their own companies, the amount of outdated an unsellable equipment sent to poor countries as aid is legion. China is not doing anything new here. Aid as an avenue for entry to a country is very common - give them aid by giving them equipment which means they then have to buy spare parts off a company in the aid giving country is common.
DS
Japan are being very clear with their direction. Will be very interesting to see how this plays out.
Why iron ore has been out of bounds in China's trade war with Australia — for now
Wine, cheese, meat and barley have all been caught up in trade tensions between Beijing and Canberra, but China still accounts for 80 per cent of Australia's iron ore exports. For how much longer, asks Ian Verrender.
www.abc.net.au
Brazil have many arguments with China over trade. They can’t bully both of us, or else they might not be able to produce high quality steel.
Uighur Muslim teacher tells of forced sterilisation in Xinjiang
Chinese government threatened woman when she resisted in move to suppress Muslim minority birth rates
This is terrible. My heart breaks for these people. Things like this need a lot more attention by the Western world and the Middle East.
Not good. China has no eyes on them now.
www.abc.net.au
'It felt very, very political': ABC reporter evacuated from China after being interrogated by police
The ABC's China correspondent says he felt like a "pawn in a diplomatic tussle" after Chinese police barred him, along with another Australian journalist, from leaving the country.
www.abc.net.au
I can't stand Trump but at least a free press (of sorts) makes him accountable in the US.
The CCP can do whatever the heck they want & do. They love control & squash any criticism or investigation into their actions.
However this is also why Donald constantly attacks the press. He likes the Dictator model clearly.
The CCP can do whatever the heck they want & do. They love control & squash any criticism or investigation into their actions.
However this is also why Donald constantly attacks the press. He likes the Dictator model clearly.
China accuses detained Australian news anchor of 'criminal activities'
Despite being held in detention since last month, Chinese authorities do not know what they will charge Cheng Lei with, according to an associate professor who was himself detained in the country for a week in 2017.
www.abc.net.au
Until the western world can sort out the destructive issue which is a mass divide between our own people through "left" & "right" politics, fearing china is a mute point. Like trying to win a grand final when one team is punching on in the change rooms & *smile* each others wives on the sly, while the other follows the plan. We have no hope against China and their undoubted bounty of hidden allies unless we can sort it out - which wont happen as all our politicians are more interested in being "king of the Hill" than genuine leaders.
Uighur Muslim teacher tells of forced sterilisation in Xinjiang
Chinese government threatened woman when she resisted in move to suppress Muslim minority birth rateswww.theguardian.com
This is terrible. My heart breaks for these people. Things like this need a lot more attention by the Western world and the Middle East.
Haha. Leaders in the Arab world don't give a stuff about Uighurs. In fact, most of them don't give a stuff about any Muslims who aren't Arab.
At least Turkey has had some dignity on the issue. The rest of the Muslim world has given silent consent.
