Tag Archives: China

Shanghai port, world’s busiest, grapples with traffic congestion

Fog is causing massive congestion at the Port of Shanghai.  Over 100 ships are waiting to berth.  Not fun.  Will shippers stop using Shanghai?

Source: Shanghai port, world’s busiest, grapples with traffic congestion

It costs twice as much to export olive oil from Spain using China’s “One Belt, One Road” railway

Another report on the One Belt One Road initiative. I think the main point is not the facts so much as the background on how these routes get chosen. It points out clearly on the ground how economic ‘warfare’ is being conducted by China. The geopolitical aspects of their development initiative are paramount. China has a large market to sell, a lot of folks to keep working, and a lot of products that need to be sold abroad. The story gives examples of how leverage and negotiating power is used in transport discussions to advance the use of OBOR.

How is this different from an 18th or 19th century colonial power?  At least we are not having shooting wars over it … yet.

screenshot-qz.com 2016-07-06 08-03-36

Source: It costs twice as much to export olive oil from Spain using China’s “One Belt, One Road” railway — Quartz

China’s strategy links global supply chain investments by ‘one belt, one road’

Hercules Haralambides weighs in on the ‘one belt, one road’ (OBOR) initiative China is mounting.  It’s been unclear what it really is. But it would be natural for it to be strategic rather than specific to particular investments.  That’s his point.  Early in the game, we can expect it to be unclear to others what’s going on.   His message is to think geopolitically to understand how Chinese investment in transport and supply chain resources might evolve.

  Source: China’s strategy is to link its global supply chain investments by ‘one belt, one road’ – The Loadstar