The New Silk Roads Forum ends Wednesday in Beijing. Nearly 140 heads of state or their representatives attended. This is the case of the Thai Prime Minister and the President of Chile.
The New Silk Roads Forum ends on Wednesday October 18 in Beijing. VS‘is the 10th anniversary of this major project launched by President Xi Jinping. This is a huge global infrastructure program, such as ports, highways, railways and even maritime links financed by China with the aim of expanding its commercial relations and its influence throughout the world. world.
A thousand billion dollars have been invested in 10 years, but it is true that since 2020 the new Silk Roads have experienced a certain slowdown. The explanation is twofold. First the Covid, the three years of health restrictions in China have clearly slowed down the projects. For example, we can cite the reduction in the number of freight trains between China and Europe. The war in Ukraine also affected the New Silk Roads. China is preparing to suffer a big blow, the departure of Italy, the only major country in the Western camp which had joined the New Silk Roads. Some 140 heads of state or their representatives went to Beijing for the occasion, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, but also the leaders of almost all the countries of South-East Asia.
Thailand on a tightrope
China is Thailand’s largest trading partner and like all countries in Southeast Asia, it practices what experts call cover diplomacy towards the Middle Kingdom. Which means that it multiplies cooperation programs in areas such as trade, culture or the military without ever going too deep and above all by balancing this cooperation with similar partnerships established with China’s rivals, notably the United States. , in order to never sink into dependence on one or the other power. It is this delicate balance that the Thai Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, came to negotiate in Beijing as Thailand tries to revive its tourism industry after the pandemic since Chinese tourists are still missing.
The Thai Prime Minister also spoke at length with Vladimir Putin, far from the gaze of Western countries. The two countries have notably decided on increased collaboration in the agricultural, cultural and tourism sectors.
Chile and China hand in hand
China is the country from which Chile imports the most goods and 37% of Chilean exports go to China. But beyond these trade exchanges, the two countries look towards the future together. This week, Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced from Beijing an investment of more than $200 million from a Chinese company specializing in lithium. Chile is the second largest producer of this metal, essential for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, and 70% of its production is sent to China.
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Santiago and Beijing also share the ambition for solar energy since Chile has record levels of sunshine, thanks to the Atacama desert in the north of the country where gigantic fields of solar panels are installed which represent great interests for China.