George Yeo – One Belt, One Road for everybody

At the FutureChina Global Forum held here yesterday, George Yeo said and I quote, ‘China’s One belt, One Road policy holds  immense promise of benefits for many countries, although there are bound to be many complex challenges before it takes off – not least the Western world’s lack of understanding of the plan.’  George Yeo is being so polite. He surely must know that the Westerns are no idiots and would know the benefits this China policy could bring to the countries within the belt and road. The objections by the Westerns were never about the benefits but about their lost of power and influence to China. They are objecting to it just like they are objecting to the AIIB for their own political and economic interests.

Yaseen Anwar, a Pakistani American banker adviser to the Industrial and Commercial Bank put it more directly, ‘They view it as a threat. “You are now making a power move against me, so I’ll oppose the AIIB.”’ This is further collaborated by George’s comment that if China were to pull the One Belt, One Road policy through, ‘it’s going to change the geoeconomic, geostrategic map of Asia.’  Whether China likes it or not, intends for it or not, it will increase its influence in world affairs that would mean a relative decline in the influence of the West. One thing for sure as mentioned by Li Cheng, director of John L Thorpton China Centre at the Brookings Institution, ‘China benefited from the international system…(and) has no interest to challenge the existing international system.’

The Western Powers cannot accept the new reality, that they are no longer the only One calling the shot even in Asian affairs. They must and will do everything to disrupt and derail the AIIB and this One Belt, One Road policy that would benefit the Eurasia countries. That is the realpolitick of things.

There is no need to be sheepish and to apologise to the Westerners for this China initiative. Just do it and lump the Westerners. They cannot be controlling and meddling with the affairs of Asians and to decide what is good or no good for Asians. The Asians must have the confidence to do what they think is good for their own interests. They have to change their colonial or West is superior mindset. They have to stand up and take their place in the world stage as equals to the West, to decide their own future, free from western domination and control. But some are very happy to remain under the rule of Pax Americana.