How China's Belt and Road Initiative became a Disaster 

It's almost like lending billions of dollars to poor countries with no chance of paying it back is a bad idea. Who would have thought?

Did he just claim that Forrest City in Malaysia as successful?!??! It is like 90% abandoned. 😅😂

The old adage of being in trouble if you can’t repay a $20,000 loan to your bank, but the bank being in trouble if you can’t repay a $20 million loan.

“If this starts to go wrong,” If? I think we’re way past that stage.

Sounds like Japan in the 1980s, when Japan seemed unstoppable. In fact, in the 1980s Japan was slated to eclipse the USA by the end of the 1980s. This was followed by Japan experiencing 3 decades of no growth. Now we see the exact same problem afflicting China: a demographic implosion. Japan experienced this starting in the 1980s after the birth rate dropped as people rightly moved into the cities and tiny apartments. The countryside in Japan was hollowed out. Now the same problem is afflicting China, with the same demographic collapse because of the same reasons. While Japan can weather the storm through bending the knee to the US as a security guarantor and since it was already wealthy, China is still a middle income country and is now unlikely to progress further.

So the pooh bear got his hands stuck in too many honey pots.

Forest city is having a lot of empty apartments and closed or never opened shops. In the long run Chinese speculators will not have the money to pay for the upkeep to the management company and it will end up as forest slum

Why should you pay for a failed project?

I always thought chinas plan is not to get reimbursed rather seize whatever they could in these countries in stead of payment the way the Dutch did to Indonesia jn 17th/18th century

The Belt is also a method China uses for discipline. Don't believe me, ask, ask any Chinese person. For me, it was a mah-jong ivory stick

Do not confuse the IMF for the World Bank (IBRD)! The first does NOT finance projects!

Even blind Freddie can see what this was all about. Dominates and ease of invasion.

These projects are typical tofu dreg disasters and predatory lending.

Forest City was a success?! Sure it got finished (talk about lowering the bar) but because it’s close to empty and not being maintained, long term it will cost many times that to fix or keep from falling apart.

Concrete production released around 400kg CO2 per cubic metre of concrete made. I wonder how much pointless CO2 has been emitted by all these failed projects?

The good thing about building infrastructure is the factor in which it gives employment to the locals and boost local companies for years and at the end, the infrastructure built will be used by that country and make ROI. The salaries also will return to the government because the local employee will spend its wage to pay for bills and food and whatever within that country. The bad thing about that hilarious Belt and Road Initiative is that there is almost nothing for the taker to benefit. Because China offers to build and finance the infrastructure, then the condition will be that only Chinese companies and workers will be involved in the project, a small percentage only will be given to the local workers, so there will be nothing for the locals and for the local economy because every benefit of building an infrastructure is only circling to China, a splash only goes to the local economy HAHAHAHAHHA. And then, after the project is done, you will be left with a substandard and hard to maintain infrastructure that will end up as a liability for that country.

It may seem like they just picked, but the defaults give the CCP the land for 90 years. So now they own and use ports for military.

1:21 that’s not a bug, it’s a feature. The idea was that they’d secure basing rights

So they didn't calculate the most basic rule of inverstment "ROI" .

never interupt your enemy making a mistake - the developed world has economists, Xi has yes-men.

You stated "hundreds of countries" were rushing to take advantage of the BRI Probably more like dozens, at best. Such exaggeration only undermines your credibility.

The overlooked aspect is this is to reduce the reliance on the Malacian strait

So whether china gain or lose on the Bri, we are thankful that there is no war in these international affairs .

Those money if kept as US treasury bond can be frozen, seized or inflated away. Belt and Road wasn’t all that great built plenty of things not really needed but still better than being inflated away.

When you over stretch yourself and rely on silk strings to keep you going, don't be surprised if they get cut, for silk may cloth the false emperor but it will not put food in his banquetting hall if he doesn't feed the people who plant the seed, harvest the seed or process the seed.

They wanted land for their military bases indirectly. The problem is military bases doesnt bring profit. The americans wins the aid race by giving ample time and pressure by WB. The american strategy is if you cant pay, give cocacola contract to open in your country. China says , if you cant pay, give me your land. It makes local people hostile.

The Bait and Rob Initiative

Anyone else notice that China rarely invests in Africa?

Is it truly a failure if it guarantees a steady supply chain. A supply chain to skirt embargos, a trade chain to skirt tariffs and a long term trade network. You can't just make decisions and expect to gain in everyway possible, sometimes you pay to gain strategic advantages that will come handy for the future.

If the BRI is a disaster, I'd hate to think what Build Back Better is.

It will never bankrupt itself

Forest City isn’t a success. It’s mostly empty.

I always notice that when China does these plans they never include Taiwan, Japan, … even though these are some of their closest neighbors. Europe will work with China but these neighbors won’t. Maybe they see what others don’t.

BRI is a disaster yet the US is panicking? 😂

4:25 the 5 star emblem of the PRC did not exist in ancient China

This is a really good video without being overly harsh on China but stating facts available.

7:44 I find it hilarious that you actually said 'forward slash' like.. how many people say 'forward' any more when giving a website address? And then proceed to use a backwards slash.

A lot of nonsense was said, but there was no concrete example. Since China began implementing the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, its GDP has doubled to nearly US$18 trillion. Whether it is Pakistan or the African region, the economic scale is also growing.

That was the plan, now they own you.

Looks like it was a deluded sailor on shore leave. The drinking and celebrating ends and now the true reason for building the road was a con game but in effect, it was a ploy to sidestep the Malacca Straits and the Achilles heel to China’s future growth. The video is a good presentation but China holds ports within the South now in Pakistan and have several highway corridors with which to get vital products to its industrial output if a foreign power blocks those Straits that bring crude oil to China’s economy. The West unfortunately is that sailor, and China’s duped both India and the US led collision into thinking they need us more than we need them. The Russians under Putin also checkmated the Europeans by destroying its once held industrial mineral wealth outlets in Africa’s mineral belt, China is Party to this move. Raw earth minerals are a vital part of any growing industrial capacity. China’s foray into EVs so far isn’t a game changer but it is becoming a headache and nuisance for the Biden Administration. Most people in the US and Canada aren’t buying into the EV hype, but the Scandinavians and German speaking regions are shifting towards this green concept. High energy prices for gas and LNG prices are changing German viewpoints away from ICE cars but other parts of the planet aren’t getting them because of the host of recharging and the replacement costs of EVs are through the roof. This especially true for the African and Latin speaking nations so far. Southeast Asia for its part is a dumping ground for cheap EVs from China, Tesla doesn’t stand a chance there I’m told. Overall, a good well done documentary about current issues facing China, only problem is its only affected 20-35 million of its core populations. The other billion persons aren’t going broke anytime soon either, just ask the Middle East or the Central Asians including India. The level headed smart ones know that claims of demise and overthrow of their communist government won’t occur until the true crux of solving water rights and air pollution issues becomes the norm. Something, a war doesn’t readily help nor solve, and so an aversion that the Chinese unlike the Russians aren’t keen on repeating. In other words, India nor China won’t help the West by going to war with one another. They’re to smart, and savy of where that would lead them. The West unfortunately is losing colonies and industries in the third world to Russia and the BRICS signatories, something the West fears and will never be solved even with a Second Trump Administration but possibly solvable with a Robert Kennedy Jr. Presidency and détente in using Nukes or stating a nuclear arms race, something we’ve not seen since Bill Clinton’s second term of office.

Premodern China did not have influence ’across the globe’.

Well, turkey's president is basically pudin's best good friend. So it won't really matter if that country dissolves.

The result of greediness, karma!

I'm not pro-China, moreover, Asian economies have a direct impact on China's progress, if they successfully build this ambitious project Asia will regain its original glory which was ruined by the war.I hope the Chinese government be more friendly to their neighbouring countries instead of encroaching on their land or EEZ borders.

The map is wrong with the Korean peninsula, correct it.

so you suggesting any country with this amount of cash to force military action like the US instead of investing?

It’s interesting you mentioned Forest City, a ghost city which the Malaysian is trying to revive and the developer, on life support as we speak.

Yeah, I don't see any of that coming.

On your list for why china is pursuing its belt and road initiative, you had: 1. Access to resources 2. Somewhere to use foreign currency 3. A way to use their industrial over capacity What about polticial purposes - soft power and influence? Was that not a point from the start, as opposed to purely commercial and economic intentio ns? (I'm not arguing debt trap imperialism, but rather pulling those countries in the global south out of US influence, see for example Zambia.) What does it do in the minds of local people when they see the Chinese, not the US or EU flag plastered all over infrastructure projects. Obviously failures could have the opposite effect they intended. Related to your third reason, having national companies go abroad and keep their employees in work means you don't lose the skills or the capacity to do large scale infrastructure projects such as power, dams etc even when you have exhausted most of the opportunity for said projects at home. Additionally, the amount of total debt outstanding is high yes, but who are they owed to? Chinese nationalised companies? I thought they were now offering emergency loans in a number of these cases rather than seeing projects complete fail.

distortation effects are not looking good. Avoid.

the invisible hand is pumping the invisible......................

That title made me laugh out loud. China is kicking it.

Good thing Philippines is not involved on this crap

All BRI members are doing well , a few with slow phase but hading the right path. That why BRI is success story.

Thanks

It was not a Belt and Road Initiative but Hit Below the Belt Initiative and all those who had the Hit are lying impotent.

Interesting , Thank You

Are BAR projects required to be paid in Yuan?

These videos still don’t address what China will do next. Will they seize resources?

Reports are that the ccp is running low on foriegn currencies

A huge amount of Chinese goods already flow through a lot of this infrastructure. Im not sure I'd call it a failure, despite these setbacks.

If it they had just bought favorable votes in the UN would that alone be worth the money?

Belt and road = Army rapid deployment corridors.

So the belt and road initiative that they did create is kind of a flawed system because essentially what it was doing was giving Chinese contractors places to build stuff most of the investments required that you'd partner with the Chinese firm or that their labor would be a part of it

What if china seizes the asset if the country defaults. I’d personally see that as a back door to national expansion in some strategically important locations.

I truly hope China can become a democratic nation one day. The Chinese Communist Party is not only evil, they are also so incompetent, as shown in this video.

I feel a lot of context is missing in this video. If anything, the BRI has been a huge success for China, it’s o let become a financial burden as a larger amount of loans have defaulted than expected. Points that were missed in this video or straight up misinterpreted: it’s not always the assets produced by the BRI that are seizable. Sometimes it’s mines or other mineral wealth assets, even land for future naval or army bases. basically it’s whatever the country possesses that benefits China. Secondly, asset seizure is a penalty, not a substitution. Under the terms the nation is still liable for the origional debt. Thirdly, the terms specify that these projects are undertaken by Chinese contractors so the majority of the loan goes back to China anyway. It’s literally free money, though economically it looks bad on paper, for its ultimate underlying goals, the BRI has been a roaring success.

BRI とマーシャルプラン どうして差がついたのか 慢心、環境の違い

Those borrowers can simply stop paying because China have nothing to foreclose anyway. Even assuming they mortgage their country. Who wants to buy a foreclose country where there are people residing there already. You simply cannot drive them away from their own country.

Slight shift away from China in recent years …you say…just slight…

Underrated channel !

Wef said we have to depopulate 3 billion

The reason being china will manufacture goods and send it through this belt and road initiative for sales of these Chinese goods all over the world.

Half length and double interest. Hmmm. Can we just call this what it is please? Loan sharking. Simple as that.

ABSOLUTE EXECUTIVE POWER OF TRUTH...shall render and reap for social justice and equality to structural evils / works of mortal mankind."...when men and nations walk in the FEAR OF GOD and obedience to His commandments, THEY PROSPER AND GROW...but when they disregard HIM and HIS WORD**, there comes a DECAY that unless arrested by righteousness, LEADS TO IMPOTENCE AND DEATH.." by gbh **For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Where are the sources for these comments? So many have been saying China is bankrupt for 10 years mow, but it still persists! What about all that foreign exchange you talk about, where is it??

bribe and rob initiative

Forest city in Malaysia is a success? Are you joking? It’s empty. China is stopping cash from leaving, do owners can’t pay their mortgage

If china is honest this will make them economic prowes and politically made progress because of geopolitical system in the world today

With houthis attacks on Red Sea , this BRI is a genius😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂… this video host strictly of drama queen

It was started in 2013, Xi’s first full year as premier. China then was still the China of Hu Jin Tao, rapid growth, steady liberalisation, not a security risk. Countries were happy to take loans, build projects and develop relationships with China. But by 2022 when Xi broke the norms and made himself premier for life and started threatening all of the Pacific, owing debt to and having relationships with China is not as desirable. They sabotaged their own project by going rogue.

I really like your content and i think you do a professional job, but please, please!! State your sources! This puts more credibility into your work. For example, how can i check graph 9:50?

It’s such a cluster f it makes you wonder if it’s intentional…. Can’t be…. But what if?

When will Asia learn the power of democracy? The rich democratic countries like Italy pulled the plug because the people was sick of it. Left is some poor countries in Africa with no possibility to pay back loans.

You are looking at short term but look at broader view. It is more ambitious than you think.

I dont know if its a failure…… cant pay me in cash????? Pay me in natural minerals pay me in other ways idk man

This website should be called the invisible brain....China is forging ahead and their belt and road project is impressive....do some deep dive research...

if they bankrup, the country should be change new government?

Real freedom is ECONOMIC growth and development. There is no freedom in low GDP/CAPITA

Omg..who made this fictional documentary. Pls check your facts!

I am finding it harder and harder to get to the truth. I just saw an article that said China currently is actively building the four largest infrastructure projects ever attempted by humans ! How can that be if they are bankrupt ???

That map at 0:09 is wrong. India is not a part of BRI and never will be.

If BRI become disaster, then why yellen come to china begging china to slowdown

when u have pakistan as a business partner it is automatically destined to fail 😂😂😂

China Bankrupt? That’s what lunatic Gordon Chang predicted in his book 20yrs ago! 😂 All these predictions are spread by these armchair critics whom may not even have any economics knowledge. 😂

...yeah, you keep telling yourself that.

I dont think this is a disaster, much on the contrary

Animation showed Latvia and Estonia flags but these both countries haven't signed or received a single contract with chinese firms nor built anything related with China. As far as I know.

Loans to poor nations can be paid back with rights to natural resources... aaaaaand that's the real purpose of the loans. That's how America does it with the IMF.

If you built it, they will come