Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyB
I'm in favour of economic cooperation, trade, and infrastructure development of the kind that China is promoting
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You're in favor of the economic imperialism that China is conducting under the guise of helpful cooperation? There are many African countries whose economic development is being totally hamstrung by "infrastructure" built by the Chinese which is now turned around and charging massive tariffs or requiring specific export destinations.
Your post yesterday almost drew my comment- it was out of place and context in the conversation and I immediately thought about why you wanted to post it. I couldn't come up with anything reasonable TBH, but neglected to comment. I suspected that it was due to the links to China in Macron's comments. That article was somewhat interesting- but I don't think it should be any surprise that looking at the situation critically, the President of the EU Council would want to publicly support a more independent EU and also support his block power leader (Macron), while not actually giving any consideration to how that would change any policy or modify any approach to policy creation. It was lip service- pretty obviously. Macron's overall goal in making the comments is also pretty transparent. He's trying to create news stories that are dramatically different from the intense domestic pressure he is facing so that he can hopefully change the conversation and reelevate some French nationalism. He's floundering a bit and trying to scramble back towards talking points that helped him rise in popularity instead of this recent hit he has taken for pensions. Those talking points were anti-nato, anti-US hegemony, and pro european army. These were essentially eradicated by the Russian invasion, and unlikely to proceed in the wake of that event as NATO has received much greater focus.
The article today is even more lip service. BRICS has now been discussing an alternate reserve currency for over a decade. #### or get off the pot. They know they can't actually do it, it's a consistent talking point they bring up anyways to play to the protectionist elements of their domestic political environments. Backing it with Gold and natural resources? LOL ok bud.