In an about-face, the United States has confirmed that it will send representatives to the Belt and Road Summit this weekend, preventing an embarrassing absence of major Western nations at the high-profile meeting President Xi Jinping will host on his flagship Obor initiative.
“The United States has realized the importance of the Belt & Road Initiative and will send its delegates to attend the summit,” said the deputy Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao in a regular press conference of the State Council on Thursday, reported by CCTV.
“This is a significant and concrete outcome, which reflects that the initiative is an open and inclusive one”, Zhu added, “It is brought up by China, but it will benefit the whole world.”
The idea is to globalize the One Belt, One Road (Obor) initiative instead of limiting its projects to countries along the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “Maritime Silk Road.”
The initiative, which has had many names since it was launched in 2013, has also been promoted through a series of propaganda videos to build up momentum for the May 14-15 summit.
In a serial called Belt and Road Bedtime Stories released by China Daily four days ago, an American dad tells his daughter that he’s going to attend a forum in Beijing on Obor.
The father then offers an interpretation of the initiative. “It’s China’s idea, but it belongs to the world,” said the American middle-class parent in the video.
The global expansion push in the Obor propaganda videos may give people a hint of what summit would be about.
The forum is an opportunity for both Xi to project himself as a global leader and promote his initiative as being more than just a grand plan for China – Obor will increase globalization to include the entire world.
Earlier on April 18, top leaders and representatives of 28 countries had confirmed they would attend the summit, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Malaysia’s Najib Razak, Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, Vietnam’s Tran Dai Quang and Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, said the Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Though heads of state from countries in Europe including Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Spain would also attend, there is a notable absence of top leaders from major Western countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada.
OBOR will be bringing in cheap Chinese manufactured goods flooding markets all over!
This is the Chinese Century no matter what the "HATERS" say are do. President Trump is smart enough to realize this salient point. The prior administration under Barack Hussein Obama and his so so smart Secretary of State’s, Madam Peron and the bicycle racer who broke his leg during a negotiation with the Iranians not so much!
Cheap good is better than expensive goods and is even better than no goods. At least, even poor consumers can enjoy the goods.
Furthermore, cheap goods are better than expensive arms that Britain and USA are selling to Saudi Arabia and which Saudi Arabia is using to kill starved Yemenis women and children.
Availability of cheap goods is also better than imposing sanctions on countries and starving their populations.
Finally, availability of cheap goods is better than bombing Libya or sending mercenaries to Syria to kill the Syrians. It is also better than sending 59 missiles to kill 14 Syrians in Syria.
Better get on it before it runs over you. OBOR will be the future!!!
The OBOR vision is magnificient. Everyone can join. Vast tracts of hinterland will be connected to population centres via modern transportation rail links. Transportation costs will be reduced. Every region can develop its local resources, skills and culture for prosperity and stable economic ties. Specifics are for the local people to decide and act on, taking ownership of their future and participating in a network of trade links.
One fail to see why India has objections if the route passes through Kashmir. India should connect itself into the OBOR network and take advantage of the immense trade opportunities. Other nations should also welcome the developments, share and contribute in peaceful trade banishing war and terrorism.
The simple reason that the Western nations including the US reluctantly either stay on the side line or send a low level reprentatives to the OBOR summit because they want to maintain the supermacy position in running the world affairs, and now they see the China rise and the huge economic impact that OBOR initiated by China to the world, esp., for the less developing nations along the silk road, it means that the Western nations will have less power and influence over these nations in the long run. So, what do they do? The easiest way is either bashing, boycotting, or joining with the community of the nations to reap the benefits. It is their choice. In the US, there is a saying," if you can’t beat them, join them".
Pence or Trump should have attended. China is all cash. Nothing will stop this and it shouldn’t. We should have at least shown respect with a high level representative.