Archives China - Page 40 of 54 - New Eastern Outlook

Thailand’s government has put together a serious proposal to build a land bridge across the Thai Kra Isthmus connecting ports on either side, providing an alternative for maritime shipping transiting the Malacca Strait, saving several days of travel in the process. The project, if completed, would transform Asia’s economic and even security architecture. The land bridge, along with the still-under-construction Thai-Chinese high-speed railway, would solidify Thailand’s role as a regional logistics hub connecting the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, and…

On December 12-13, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Vietnam. This has been his third such visit since he’s been holding China’s highest party and state positions (since around 2012-2013), and the first in six years. That is, the head of the second world power does not visit its southern neighbor too often (to put it politely), even though the two countries sharing a 1,000-km border. And despite the fact that the Vietnamese leadership (mainly members of the Communist party) make regular visits to Beijing. The difference in the frequency of mutual “courtesies” is due…

I had intended to write about the Canadian government’s embarrassment over the revelation that the two “Michaels,” the two Canadians arrested in China several years ago for espionage, after Canada illegally detained Huawei chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on President Trump’s orders, were actually spies after all, despite Canada’s denials which are still maintained.  The revelation of the truth of that situation is contained in court documents that became public after one of the spies sued the government for getting him involved with a government intelligence agent…