Eurasia

New Infrastructure, Banking, Security, 'Land Bridge', Roads, Energy Pipelines, Maritime and Economic Development

Connections Across Continents, the 21st Century Shifts as Investment Moves in New Directions

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Land_Bridge

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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

http://www.aiibank.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Infrastructure_Investment_Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is an international financial institution which is focused on supporting infrastructure construction. The bank was initiated by the government of China and supported by 49 other countries from Europe, Oceania, Africa and South America as members. AIIB is regarded by some as a rival for the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which are regarded as dominated by developed countries like the United States. The United Nations has addressed the launch of AIIB as "scaling up financing for sustainable development" for the concern of Global Economic Governance.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/13/support-china-led-development-bank-grows-despite-us-opposition-australia-uk-new-zealand-asia

Russia Will Hold Key Positions In China-Led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank / June 27, 2015

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2014-10/24/c_133740149.htm

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-03/29/c_134106555.htm / June 2015

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http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/the-new-improved-shanghai-cooperation-organization/

The annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit convened in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on September 11 and 12. As befitting its origin as a regional security organization, the SCO mainly focused on security issues, from counterterrorism to Afghan stability, but also touched on economic cooperation. And in a major step forward in expanding its regional clout, the SCO finalized procedures for taking in new members, with India, Pakistan, and Iran first on the list.

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http://time.com/3893977/new-silk-road-global-economics/ New Silk Road Could Change Global Economics Forever / May 2015

When completed, like the ancient Silk Road, it will connect three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. The chain of infrastructure projects will create the world’s largest economic corridor, covering a population of 4.4 billion and an economic output of $21 trillion...

After failed attempts by the U.S. to persuade allies against joining the bank, the U.S. reversed course, and now says that it has always supported the project, a disingenuous position considering the fact that U.S. opposition was hardly a secret. The Wall Street Journal reported in November 2014 that “the U.S. has also lobbied hard against Chinese plans for a new infrastructure development bank… including during teleconferences of the Group of Seven major industrial powers.

The Huffington Post’s Alastair Crooke had this to say on the matter: “For very different motives, the key pillars of the region (Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan) are re-orienting eastwards. It is not fully appreciated in the West how important China’s “Belt and Road” initiative is to this move (and Russia, of course is fully integrated into the project). Regional states can see that China is very serious indeed about creating huge infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. They can also see what occurred with the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), as the world piled in (to America’s very evident dismay). These states intend to be a part of it.”

Buttressing this effort, China plans on injecting at least $62 billion into three banks to support the New Silk Road. The China Development Bank (CDB) will receive $32 billion, the Export Import Bank of China (EXIM) will take on $30 billion, and the Chinese government will also pump additional capital into the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC).

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Silk_Road Maritime Silk Road

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union Eurasian Economic Union

http://thediplomat.com/2014/05/chinas-new-silk-road-vision-revealed/ "New Silk Road"

http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/china-pushes-maritime-silk-road-in-south-southeast-asia/ China Pushes 'Maritime Silk Road' in South, Southeast Asia

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11721211/Chinas-bid-to-tame-its-wild-west-with-a-new-Silk-Road.html

http://www.cfr.org/asia-and-pacific/building-new-silk-road/p36573

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http://www.cnbc.com/id/102566589 / July 2015

China's big foray into global finance is causing nervousness on Wall Street while helping to exemplify how dysfunctional Washington has become.

The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank is positioning itself as an Asia-centric alternative to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, even though the head of the World Bank on Tuesday tried to cast the AIIB as a partner, not a rival.

However, some prominent U.S. voices recently have been expressing alarm both at the AIIB's growth, and its ability to attract U.S. allies even though the Obama administration has been seeking to discourage membership. The U.S. holds the largest voting bloc in the IMF/World Bank structure, but has not signed on to the China effort.

With the addition of Iran and the United Arab Emirates, the roster of prospective AIIB members has grown to 35, according to the Xinhua News Agency. In addition to multiple Asian countries—Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to name three—the amount of European countries is on the rise. Germany, France and Italy are on board for when the bank is officially chartered later in the year, and outside the region Australia just joined as a high-profile partner, despite the White House's wishes.