The drive for global dominance (part two)
Vice President Mike Pence’s concerns aren’t completely unfounded. Recently, China has been using its economic power to expand its influence and grow its naval power. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt One Road” policy aims to strengthen investment and trade relations with surrounding countries, but critics argue the real point of the policy is to expand China’s influence and imperial power. Pence has slammed China’s use of “debt diplomacy” to expand its influence. “Just ask Sri Lanka,” he said, “which took on massive debt to let Chinese state companies build a port of questionable commercial value. Two years ago, that country could no longer afford its payments, so Beijing pressured Sri Lanka to deliver the new port directly into Chinese hands. It may soon become a forward military base for China’s growing blue-water navy.”
Frank.
