⬆️ #US, #Canada and #Finland plan to build more icebreakers to bolster defenses against #Russia [& #SeniorPartner #China] in the #Arctic where Russia has been increasingly active.
Now #Trump suggested yet again that #Canada should be absorbed by #US 👀
Good thing, #China defines itself as a #NearArcticState even though it's not an #Arctic country (🧵 above): its coasts do not border with the #ArcticSea nor does it have claim on under-continental shelves in the Arctic.
⬆️ #China’s #BeltAndRoadInitiative is aligned with #Putin’s #RevanchistDreams ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111591513022426045
China is not an #Arctic country: its coasts do not border with #ArcticSea. Yet, it calls itself a #NearArcticState ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111630911378365445
Now China is "concerned" about# NATO’s relationships with #Australia, #NewZealand, #Japan, & #SouthKorea
“China urges NATO to ... stop interfering in China’s INTERNAL politics… and not create chaos in the Asia-Pacific after CREATING turmoil in Europe” 🙄
>> what #China is doing with #Russia right now, my guess is that China wants a chunk of Siberia. #GlobalWarming will force China to go north
China is not an #Arctic country: its coasts do not border with #ArcticSea nor does it claim to have sovereignty on under-continental shelves or water in the Arctic. Yet, it defines itself as a #NearArcticState ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111630911378365445
China’s #BeltAndRoadInitiative is aligned with #Putin’s #RevanchistDreams ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111591513022426045
⬆️ Rethreading…
#China's #BeltAndRoadInitiative (#BRI), initially consisted of land-based #NewSilkRoad Belt and a "Road" #maritime Initiative.
It repeatedly broke geographic boundaries, reaching into the Pacific Islands, the #Arctic and even outer space.
#China is not an #Arctic country— NO border with #ArcticSea nor sovereignty on under-continental shelves.
Yet, it defines itself as a #NearArcticState ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111630911378365445
https://eastasiaforum.org/2023/11/24/pondering-the-bris-alleged-new-roads/
⬆️ #China is not an #Arctic country. Yet, it defines itself as #NearArcticState.
In contrast, #US is a legitimate Arctic State.
Last month, US imposed sanctions on #Russia's Arctic LNG-2 project over the war in #Ukraine.
#Chinese state-owned oil majors #CNOOC & China National Petroleum Corp #CNPC, both own 10% each in the LNG project.
Now, China's foreign ministry says its involvement in the #Russian Arctic project should not be target of any "3rd party intervention"
⬆️
#China is not an #Arctic country: its coasts do not border with the #ArcticSea nor does it claim to have sovereignty on under-continental shelves or water in the Arctic.
Yet, China defines itself as a #NearArcticState.
Back in 2014 (same year that Russia first invaded #Ukraine and annexed #Crimea), #Xi Jinping made public the will of his government to make China a #PolarPower
2014 was also the year that China enunciated its audacious #BeltAndRoadInitiative
https://www.isdp.eu/publication/the-ice-silk-road-is-china-a-near-artic-state/
⬇️
⬆️
As #Arctic ice melts, new #Russia-#China threat looms
Oct 2021: Russia got chairmanship of #ArcticCouncil
Feb 2022: Launched #FullScaleInvasion of Ukraine
Mar 2023: 2 weeks after China secretly brokered #rapprochement between archenemies #Iran and #SaudiArabia, Putin & Xi held a summit and agreed to focus on Arctic after China claimed to be a #nearArcticState
#PolarSilkRoad opened a new front against the #West with economic, #geopolitical, & military objectives
⬇️
Ramesh #NotGoingBack
