'Modi, only statesman to stand up to China's One-Belt-One-Road'
PM Narendra Modi is the only statesman to have stood up to China's One Belt One Road (OBOR), claims Michael Pillsbury, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy at the think-tank Hudson Institute. At a congressional hearing, he said Modi's government has been "outspoken" against China's ambitious project even as US was silent until now; Modi's stand "is partly because OBOR violates India's sovereign claims."
What is OBOR?
The One Belt One Road Initiative, later renamed the Belt and Road Initiative, has two components: a land based Silk Road Economic Belt and a sea based Maritime Silk Road. It aims to connect Asia and Europe through a network of industrial and trade corridors, enhancing Eurasia's connectivity with China. Through OBOR, China plans to boost international influence and achieve industrial capacity co-operation.
Why, according to Pillsbury, is China angry?
Pillsbury also praised Trump administration's new Indo-Pacific strategy; he said the Chinese are unhappy that Trump is consistently mentioning a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region. He also said that until recently, India, allegedly backed by the US, was joking about controlling the Indian Ocean. This meant upgrading India's weapons system and "maritime situational awareness" to track movements. These claims have angered China.
Senator Ed Markey: China is guilty of intellectual property theft
Later, Senator Ed Markey slammed China for intellectual property theft. He said reports suggested that China has been stealing cutting-edge research and trade secrets from the US. Further, companies working in the clean-energy sector suffered major losses as they can't compete with China's state-backed firms.
'China's actions are challenging the global order of peace'
Both claimed that China's actions challenge the "global order." Pillsbury said China offers low-interest loans to countries that can't afford to repay it; then, they are coerced into doing China's bidding as debt swap, like Sri Lanka leasing Hambantota Port. Markey said China is challenging the "global order" by promoting its trade in "rogue state" North Korea and building military bases on disputed areas.
