If USA wrestles control of the Panama Canal by force, China will definitely go ahead with the Nicaragua canal project. This will be an alternative route for Chinese ships to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Ship owners now have to pay exorbitant fees to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, not to talk about the delays queuing up for navigating the canal. The fees are reported to be hundreds of thousands, even millions for preferential treatment ahead of the queue.
China now needs to go through Panama Canal to reach Europe in its trade with the EU, avoiding the longer and dangerous Straits of Magellan or the Suez Canal route, having to pay huge fees to transit. In times of conflict, that would be the choking point for the USA in times of conflict.
China's trade with South American countries is now conveniently served by the opening of the mega deep-water Chancay Port in Peru. This has caused much concern for the USA. As always, the USA is hyping up the use of the port of Chancay as being developed for Chinese military warships to call for supplies. Again, what is wrong with that?
Anonymous
7 comments:
What will our 'Principled' one be preaching about Trump wanting to take over the Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada and even Mexico? Isn't that a big country bullying smaller countries for really no apparent rhyme or reason, other than committing robbery and terrorism? No objection, I guess. Several South American countries are already supporting Panama, including Mexico.
Taking over the Panama Canal is not going to be a walk in the park for Trump, even though he thinks it is like taking candy from a kid. Sure, the USA had invaded Panama in 1989 under George W. Bush, to depose Manuel Noreiga. Trump thinks this is going to work the same way theoretically, by installing a stooge who will let him run riot in the country.
Trump will be seizing a national asset in a sovereign country, and he has not heard of the word 'sabotage' being conducted by the locals. Who are running the operation of the Panama Canal are also the people who are capable of making the waterway un-navigable, rather than letting it fall into the hands of the USA? If even the USA Treasury can be hacked with all the top gatekeepers keeping a close watch, what is there to prevent a simple act of sabotage in the open air. The sinking of a ship in the middle of the canal is already a big problem to solve. The destruction of the gates inside the water raising and lowering mechanisms are also detrimental to the operation of the canal.
There are already protests ongoing outside the USA Embassy, burning and tramping on Trump posters on the ground. Two posters read 'Fxxk Trump' with the picture of a bear doing a doggie style on Trump face down on the ground. I really laugh at the ingenuity of the Panamanian protestors. Trump really believe the people of Panama will welcome him with open arms, in his mentally warped mind.
The event that I am eagerly looking forward to is Trump ending the Ukraine War on the 21st January. Trump boasted that he could end the Ukraine War within 24 hours. But I think many people have been conned. His 24-hour boast could mean a 24-hour, not upon assuming office, but from a certain date that could be extended like the collapse of China, or maybe just before the end of his Presidency. Then, what is the point?
Two other countries in South America are looking at the possibility of providing alternatives to the Panama Canal. One is Nicaragua and the other is Mexico. There are problems to surmount of course, and the media is already throwing cold water on these two projects now undergoing feasibility studies.
Even the construction of the Panama Canal had been highly problematic, with France giving up midway and USA taking over. 25,000 lives were lost during the construction period which stretched over three decades, imagine 30 long years. That was during a period where highly sophisticated construction equipment was non-existent, with only steam driven machinery available towards the later stages, unlike today. So, such an undertaking today will be very much easier.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. If the USA takes control of the Panama Canal, countries in the region will give serious thought to having an alternative. If China wants to go in to play the game, knowing what it means with the Panama Canal under USA control, nothing is an impossibility.
Never push China to do what it does not now dominate. It will be too late to regret.
Truth be said, China does not even need to attempt to station ballistic missiles in South American countries to pose a threat to USA, like what the Russians did in Cuba. Intercontinental ballistic missiles with longer range capabilities can do the work as well, and hypersonic missiles are unstoppable. 'Iron Dome' defense are now a broken myth.
Let us not kid anybody that USA mainland would be safe just because China and Russia have no close base to site those missiles and therefore cannot do any harm to the USA. This is not the era of WW2 where USA distance advantage is a factor that prevented it from being targeted by enemies.
What about nuclear submarines that can also get close to the USA? They can provide retaliation in case of a first strike that managed to take out land-based missile launchers. And not every land-based missile launcher can be taken out all at the same time.
Even gangsters have morals, so said Robert de Niro. What has Trump got? No morals, a bullshitter, a conman, a felon of a President, a sex-maniac, and a charlatan.
I believe Putin also wants Alaska back. And the Native Americans also want North America back. And I would bet that the Hawaiians also wants Hawaii for themselves. And the natives of Diego Garcia will also want their island back.
Can we call it opening a can of worms? What is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. No?
Afghanistan alone was too big a tree for the USA to encircle, despite the presence of the huge US forces on the ground, supported by the previous Afghan Government and military.
And the USA wants to wage war against the global community? That is Trump's fanciful thinking.
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