imo

Yeah but what about that debt trap diplomacy?

US Japan and WB have been doing it for years

China finally learned from the IMF I guess. But that doesn't make it any less unsettling.

It's rather a game of bomb trap diplomacy

But China presents as some warsaw-pact-tier shit.

For the goverments

Doesn't mean so trainwrecks aren't going to do shit anyway

I mean if it works, good for everyone involved, but so far i only see this with a lot of bad press and somaly pirate tier shit coming up.

I dunno. I guess I just kinda assume the worst bcuz China. But even if it's benevolent, I expect at least a free press to take a hit in the countries involved because why piss off the country that's stimulating your economy? It's in their interest right now to do everything to avoid pissing off Chinese Winnie the Poo and I'm worried what kind of effects that will have.

A lot of BRI contracts are as much about relieving china's massive industrial overcapacity and steel surplus as they are about leashing smaller economues around them

I hope at least some of the countries involved will try to develop some economic independence instead of sitting on their laurels.

Oh, no. I don't think that China will be the bad boy in any of that. They play American world police on a smaller scale with no contestans...

On top of that the AIIB which provudes at least 1/3 of the funding involved has multilateral contributors from across the globe

Nobody in Asia wants to be China's bitch and they dont have any misconceptions about the real intentions behind Xi's "shared destiny" message

China is going to have a hell of a time getting over the PR issues (especially in the south china sea) if they want this movement to have any of the geopolitical heft they want

Maybe. Who knows, maybe some of the beneficiaries are playing 3d chess.

Real question imo; does china's shared destiny catch on quick enough before china themselves get fucked over by automation?

twould be hilarious especially if said automation was precipitated by their insane IT boom

Rather bought in, but i guess it results the same.

I'm sure China would have an economic boon, only the workers will be fucked. Which is to say most everyone. I guess political stability could still be a challenge though.

I feel like hong kong was the first place in asia where expats started to settle down in

less people are doing this these days I think

@transience are hostels in bangkok okay?

I kinda wanna try it

@plasticsword Depends if you can deal with other people being around

mine is okay

no obvious sleazy western men

is it usually just a curtain?

also are there lockers?

yeah, I share a room with four chinks and one white guy but there are curtains you can pull down

and also a locker

I don't think I pay more than 4 quid a night

First sip of the day

6 hours sleep, so I guess I need it

<:alismirk:230784726615588865>

also, yes, I'm wristlet

6 year energy

*ssiiiiipppp*

damn hot in thailand today

Not only there