With the EU and Beijing on the cusp of signing an investment agreement by the end of 2020, we are literally watching the rebirth of the world. With the RCEP having concluded and momentum set towards harmonizing the other regional agreements like EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and the AfCFTA (African Continent Free Trade Area), the world now fully understands that this is the moment in time to shift the global economy.To put it bluntly, China and the BRI has proven itself to be a consistent and reasonable partner and if there was ever a moment in history to correct the decades of US malfeasance and potential negative punitive actions, the time is now. This has to be the most well timed and best executed decision in the history of modern entente. Some examples of what makes this moment ideal:
• Trump is a lame duck who could reassert his face like a persistent pimple back in 2024.
• Biden does not have a lot of room to maneuver unless Congress shifts and the momentum of crazy in the US is not going away any time soon.
• Governments may be more wary of Facebook than the nuclear bomb and will move to break up Big Data.
• The US has no viable plan for fixing the global economy which it is most responsible for crashing.
We should soon be seeing a whole litany of Sino-phobic crap about Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea, to try to raise concern over and EU-China deal, but for international investors, the BRI is going to keep the global economy from tanking.That means China’s continued administration over the SCS and the implementation of new surveillance and security when it come to shipping traffic in the region. It means greater access and development with little fear of terrorism from CIA-backed Uyghur separatists in Xinjiang. It means more regulated banking in Hong Kong, without the ongoing corruption and money laundering by the globally corrupt Hong Kong banks. And hopefully it means that Taiwan can retain their position as the global chip maker rather than simply another US tool under the administration of Tsai Ing-Wen.
The end of neoliberal global rule making at the World Bank, IMF and soon, hopefully, the WTO is in sight– In hindsight, there are so many indicators that show this entente to be coordinated. One of them being the EU’s promotion of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala filling the post of WTO Director-General.
All this being said, when we come out of our holiday season let us make sure that we bring in the new year with ecological and economic justice at the forefront. That is something we actually can hope for that is not merely wishful thinking.