Isn’t it nice that China is working with them on their Belt and Road initiative?
Hey what large nation is allied with Saudi Arabia again?
Iran?
Saudi Arabia and Iran are sworn enemies with two different theocratic faiths leading each.
Not quite.
You know Crown Prince MBS? Hacks up journalists MBS?
The actual reason he hasn’t faced consequences for it is that he’s largely doing what the West wants, the secularization of SA. Calling it a theocracy just isn’t quite right anymore, even if Islam as a whole tends to dispute the very idea of the separation of church and state.
I think that’s one of the things Christians, or former Christians, don’t want to admit in this little religious rivalry, that Muslims are every bit as varied in their take on fundamentalism as Christians.
Lol the Saudis used Israeli spy tech to spy on the family of the journalist they murdered, Jamal Khashoggi. They may well have used it on him as well, however his devices were never recovered so that was never proven. The sale of the tech was approved by the Israeli government, and the company that sold it claims they have full oversight over who their customers target.
That’s completely beside the point you were making, but I really felt the need to mention it nonetheless. War is a tangled web, the only consistent thread is money.
The faiths are a little different, but Wahhabism isn’t far removed from Sunni Islam. In any case, since 7 October the Saudis have been talking with Iran about working with them, instead of Israel.
Iran is Shia. They have a very violent history of conflict across the Middle East. Most recently across Iraq but Sunni vs Shia has been a common conflict duo since Islam split.
Fair play, my mistake. Saudi Arabia is still starting to cosy up to Iran now, though.
Maybe. But I’m referring to the United States.
Pot calling the kettle black and all that.
I know lol.
But tbf the US isn’t actually allied with Saudi Arabia, never really has been. They do pay well for US weapons, though.
Did you even read the first two sentences of the wiki you linked?
[…] despite the differences between the two countries—an Islamic absolute monarchy, and a secular constitutional republic—the two countries have been allies ever since.
And then most of the rest of the article lists all the ways in which they’re not really allies. It’s not your typical allied relationship, they’re pretty much allies in name only these days and very begrudgingly.
The USA.
Never look inward, only outward at China.
Yes it is? An infrastructure project like that will help modernise the region.
It’s not an infrastructure project, it’s a debt trap and power projection tool through bribery of corrupt leaders willing to sell out their countries.
I’ve apparently been living under a rock and have no idea what this initiative is about, care to share some quick summary?
Basically China is building roads and rail across from China, through India and into the Middle East. Afghanistan also includes something about getting copper from there to send back to China, I imagine other countries will have resources China is after as well.
What makes you say the countries it goes through are going to be in debt because of it?
My understanding is that they won’t be, however they will be practically giving away natural resources (eg copper for Afghanistan).
Not all debt can be satisfied with money. A debt that is being paid, whether in money, natural resources, or the blood sweat tears and labor of your countrymen is still a debt.
You’re not really making sense. “A debt paid,… is still a debt that has to be paid”? If the debt is paid, it’s already been paid.
Assuming Afghanistan owes China for the infrastructure, then that debt would be paid by giving them copper. Bought and paid for. So how are they saddled with debt? Where’s the trap?
Obviously the deal will be a lot more complex, it might not be a great deal long term in some respects and I’m sure there’ll be a measure of corruption (there almost always is, everywhere), but at the end of the day Afghanistan is getting infrastructure it couldn’t build on its own and China is getting resources it otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
Because the copper will be worth way more in the long run than the tech it’s funding. Plus China is notorious for putting their own people in charge of mining operations who are abusive to locals.
I’m sure it’ll be a little more complex, but it doesn’t have to be. If China can secure cheap raw materials it helps to ensure that they can make things cheaper than anyone else.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/744071/manufacturing-labor-costs-per-hour-china-vietnam-mexico/
That link shows how China’s unskilled labor is now more expensive than a lot of their competitors. They need a new edge to stay relevant. The raw materials in Afghanistan is just one of many ways they are attempting to stay competitive.
You’re right about my mis-type on the last thing I’m headed there to fix it. Thanks for pointing that out.
Yeah I’m sure China are doing it for their own advantage, but Afghanistan are still getting infrastructure they wouldn’t have had - in particular the route is going through the mountains, where there are no easy roads currently. There are significant benefits for thw other countries involved in the scheme, too.
