Thread by @karolcummins

❄️THE POLAR SILK ROAD❄️

📌China, Russia (Trump -Exxon)

📌Goal: The Northern Sea Route (which is a key template of Moscow’s Arctic strategies) as an “important component” of

📌CHINA’s BELT & ROAD INITIATIVE,

The POLAR SILK ROAD is considered as “part of an ambitious strategy to change China’s (and Russia’s) land and sea connections to Europe and the world.”
orientalreview.org/2018/08/20/rus…

THE POLAR SILK ROAD is an important component of China's Belt and Road (B&R) initiative, in terms of an ambitious strategy to change China's land and sea connections to Europe and the world.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

The goal is to bring new markets and development opportunities for China. If it succeeds, it will not only contribute to the economic and social development of the Arctic region, but it also could possibly change global trade and economic patterns.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

📌Of primary importance is to reduce transportation costs by cutting distances.

📌China seeks a faster sea route to many ports than current routes. Some estimates indicate that the new sea route through the Arctic could reduce shipping times by half.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

Why?

📌China has a keen interest in developing oil, gas, renewable energy & mineral resources in the Arctic region.

📌It is estimated that the Arctic region has about 30% of untapped global natural gas reserves & 13% of world oil reserves.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

As the world's largest importer of oil and gas, and with continued strong growth in oil and gas demand, China can look forward to development of oil and gas, in addition to other resources in the Arctic region.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

📌China hopes with better infrastructure and transportation facilities, China can
reduce dependency on the Strait of Malacca, which is China's main shipping route for oil and gas at present.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

📌In the process of building a Polar Silk Road, will China be a responsible partner in the region, or a plunderer of Arctic resources, damaging the environment?

📌Will China be seen as an Arctic nation or a supporter of the development of Arctic nations?
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

China has a plan for three ocean-based routes that will connect Asia with Africa, Oceania and Europe.

📌The plan intends to advance maritime cooperation under the B&R initiative, but it will encounter at least three major challenges.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

The first is difficulties in cooperation.

📌Different countries have different interests and objectives in terms of Arctic development.

📌Key point in contention will be property rights, environmental standards and technology.
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

Therefore, cooperation will be difficult and likely contentious.

📌China will work with Russia (Rosnef) and certainly hopes to work with all parties (Trump -Exxon) to build a Polar Silk Road through developing Arctic shipping routes
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

The second challenge is environmental protection, which should be the first principle in the development of the Arctic as the environment is very fragile.

📌China, Russia & Trump’s attitude toward any environmental concerns are skeptical at best. 😱
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

The third challenge is technological innovation as the climate is cold and the natural conditions are not suitable for conventional development.

📌This is why Trump & the climate change deniers see
#GlobalWarming as a feature not a bug
globaltimes.cn/content/111471…

‼️Pay attention to this:👇🏼👇🏼

This idea that Russia and China can never really be friends is just as wrong and dangerous as the cold war dogma that portrayed global communism as an unshakeable monolith…

orientalreview.org/2018/08/20/rus…

🌏CHINA RUSSIA ALLIANCE🌏

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1047588603658813440?s=21

‼️Trumps Many Ties to China‼️

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1046123863573057536?s=21

🌎China’s BELT and ROAD 🌎

https://twitter.com/karolcummins/status/1048652993157951488?s=21

In May, Trump’s partner in Indonesia — MNC Corp. — announced that it had signed a construction contract with another state-run Chinese company, the Metallurgical Corporation of China, for its planned Lido City development..
washingtonpost.com/politics/as-ta…

📌Days later, Trump announced his support for Chinese-backed telecom firm ZTE, a departure from his previously aggressive stance toward Chinese industry that prompted Democrats and ethical experts to question whether the two actions were related. 🙄🙄
washingtonpost.com/politics/as-ta…

📌Let’s not forget the Exxon Mobil and Rosneft, a state-run oil company, had agreed on a $3.2 billion jointexploration pact in the arctic.

📌Exxon Mobil Scraps a Russian Deal, Stymied by Sanctions (For now)
nyti.ms/2sZmAjW?smid=n…

📌Did Putin help elect Trump to restore $500 billion Arctic Exxon oil deal now killed by sanctions?

📌Polar Silk Road
thinkprogress.org/putin-helped-t…

📌Russia is building military bases in the Arctic as it tries to control the region
nydailynews.com/news/world/rus…

📌Russia's new Arctic Trefoil military base unveiled with virtual tour
bbc.com/news/world-eur…

China and Russia want to develop Arctic energy resources together, and current US disapproval via sanctions may not deter them

📌Trump tried but Rexxon failed.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

China has helped to finance Russia’s quest to develop Arctic resources after US sanctions, and deeper involvement may follow if Beijing can acquire a management role
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

📌In a major breakthrough this summer, the first shipment of liquefied natural gas was made from the Russian port of Sabetta, home to the Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic, to the Chinese port of Rudong in Jiangsu.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

Two LNG tankers, sailed without any icebreaker escort through the Northern Sea Route, which China is calling the POLAR SILK ROAD, in 19 days, compared to the 35 days that it would normally take to navigate the traditional eastern route via the Suez Canal.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

📌Global warming has made it easier to transport goods via the Arctic route, reducing reliance on the risky Malacca Strait and knocking days off the journey time.

📌It has also made it easier to tap the vast mineral resources that lie beneath the ice.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

The notion of a “Silk Road on Ice” goes back to a December 2015 meeting of Chinese and Russian heads of government that advocated cooperation in Arctic navigation.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

A joint statement stated for the first time that both sides would work together to develop the northern sea route along the Russian Arctic coast into a competitive commercial sea route.
scmp.com/comment/insigh…

📌Circling back to Trump & Exxon
& Rosnef & the Dossier and the roles all parties want to play in developing the POLAR SILK ROAD.

📌📌The question is this with out without Trump? Deal?

📌📌📌Make no mistake control & exploitation of the Arctic is the new frontier.

@threadreaderapp unroll please & thank you.

Arctic air base gets $40 million upgrade in face of increasing missile threats (2017)

H/T @arethapappas
cbsnews.com/news/inside-th…