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THIS WEEK'S SILK ROAD HEADLINES
Will the United States and Japan join China’s Belt and Road (OBOR) initiative? Given the economic and political clout of Japan and the US, such a move could have major consequences. It could increase the chance of success for the development aspects of the initiative, and it could also limit China’s possibilities to use OBOR as a vehicle to expand its global influence. According to some of the reports in this week’s edition of SRH, both Trump and Abe may be considering some kind of engagement with China on this matter [China says Trump open to cooperating on Silk Road projects; Dramatic shift in relations as Japan praises China’s Belt and Road]. Taking into account the geopolitical rivalry that exists between China and both Japan and the US, it remains to be seen what shape such engagement would take. Still, the fact that Washington and Tokyo sent high-level delegates to the recent Belt and Road Cooperation Forum in Beijing suggests that the two countries might indeed be recalibrating their stance.
Other notable news items this week include reports on the challenges that Afghanistan faces with regard to realising its potential as a major silk road country [Fear and loathing on the Afghan Silk Road], on the danger that new railways in Southeast Asia will stimulate the smuggling of drugs [Will China’s pan-Asia rail network increase drug smuggling?], and on ambitious Chinese plans to invest in floating LNG projects in Africa as part of OBOR [China pumps cash into African floating LNG projects in strategic push].
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