Why Cuba joins the New Chinese Silk Road
This is what prompted China to sign the Belt and Road Initiative agreement with Cuba. The article by Giuseppe Gagliano
Cuba and China have signed a cooperation plan to carry out construction projects under Beijing's controversial overseas infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Chinese Embassy in Cuba announced the deal on its website on December 26, saying the deal was signed two days earlier by He Lifeng, head of China's main economic planning agency, the National Development Commission and the reforms and Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas.
The deal implemented a memorandum of understanding that the two nations signed in 2018, when Cuba agreed to become a BRI participating nation.
Under the agreement, the two nations aimed to work together on projects in several key sectors, including communications, education, health and biotechnology, science and technology, and tourism, according to the news agency Agencia Cubana de Noticias ( ACN ).
The Chinese embassy also stated a timetable and roadmap for implementing the projects, without giving more details.
Many countries have given up a piece of their sovereignty after failing to pay Chinese debts. For example, China Merchants Port Holdings is now operating Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port on a 99-year lease after the South Asian country converted its $ 1.4 billion owed loans into equity in 2017 and this allowed Beijing to take possession of a strategic key in the Indian Ocean.
THE GLOBAL STRATEGY OF CHINA
What prompted China to sign this agreement with Cuba? Cuba is rich in mineral and oil resources and is a major source of nickel ore for China. In fact, Cuba has one of the largest nickel deposits in the world in the world.
But China was also a major energy partner of Cuba. Chinese companies supplied wind turbines to Cuba's wind farms and oversaw the construction of Cuba's first biomass power plant in Ciro Redondo. China has provided "counter-terrorism" training to the Cuban military and police forces responsible for suppressing anti-government protesters.
Indeed, China has an ambition that goes beyond Cuba: Beijing seeks to establish a global infrastructure network in order to project and sustain military power over greater distances.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
A similar strategy is being pursued by China in the context of the Indo-Pacific.
The Indian Ocean is India's backyard, but China wants to control the region and its waters. It is doing this by establishing a permanent naval presence in the Indian Ocean. Maritime strategist Alfred Mahan said over a century ago that “whoever controls the Indian Ocean will dominate Asia. The fate of the world will be decided on its waters ”. This prophecy is about to come true. The war for control of the Indian ocean has begun. India has been challenged in its own backyard by the Chinese army, the People's Liberation Army.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world and covers nearly 20% of the water surface. Why does China want to dominate this region? Because its economy depends on it. China needs this ocean to protect its economic interests. About 80% of its oil exports go through the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca, and neither is under the control of China. 95% of its trade – with three of its important partners being West Asia, Africa and Europe – goes through the Indian Ocean. Strategists call them Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC). West Asia and Africa are indeed an essential part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
To be able to achieve this goal, China is practicing an absolutely lucid and forward-looking strategy to keep the bottlenecks open. The first is the presence of the PLAN in the Indian ocean. The second is the air defense and anti-submarine warfare capability of the PLAN. The third is China's logistics / support infrastructure along the Indian coast.
THE CIVIL-MILITARY PORTS
But the most important aspect is China's willingness to build dual-use civil and military port infrastructures.
In addition to its current base in Djibouti, it is very likely that the People's Republic of China is already considering and planning further military logistics abroad to support naval, air and ground forces. Beijing has probably considered the role of PLA's military logistics facilities in Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan. Let's not forget that China has three military bases in the Bay of Bengal and four bases in West India.
In fact, in the United Arab Emirates, China was trying to secretly build a military base located in the port of Khalifa through the Chinese Shipping Corporation, Cosco. But the Americans prevented it. At least for now.
China has many options and in particular the Pakistani port of Karachi. There are many benefits to this port. The Chinese are familiar with the Karachi port, as Chinese ships have been visiting this port for decades. The first visit was in 1985, and the Chinese have used the facilities to replenish their supplies ever since. In recent years, both countries' navies have had regular military exercises. The second option is the port of Gwadar which, despite being formally a port, can however be readily reused to be used as a military structure of the PLA. Here, in fact, the Chinese navy is present with the amphibious assault ship Type-075 and the supply ship of the Type-901 fleet. Therefore, China is excited about Gwadar from where they can operate in the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf. It can in fact exert considerable pressure in the Indian Ocean region and control the waters.
The other example is the port of Hambantota in Sri Lanka and the port of Kyaukphyu in Myanmar for logistical purposes.
In short, through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) the Dragon is building a network of ports that are ports with a dual purpose: commercial and military. He wants to arm the BRI and dominate the Indian Ocean.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/cuba-cina-nuova-via-della-seta/ on Tue, 28 Dec 2021 07:43:37 +0000.