Inflection EP15: Chinese-Afghan Reconstruction & the US Plan to Sabotage It

This week we discuss China’s role in Afghanistan during and now after the withdrawal of occupying US military forces. We discuss China’s ambitions and the many ways the US has and will continue trying to complicate and obstruct progress in the Central Asian state.

We also cover recent news events along China’s periphery in Southeast Asia including US-backed protests in Thailand, US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Vietnam vs. China’s inclusion of Vietnam in its China-Euro freight train line, and terrorism carried out by the US-backed opposition in Myanmar.

Inflection is a weekly show featuring Angelo Giuliano and Brian Berletic, discussing recent headlines and in-depth discussion of topics shaping the shift from West to East and unipolarism to multipolarism.

News:

Vietnam-China-Europe Rail

Xinhua – China-Europe freight train marks 1st connection between Zhengzhou, Hanoi, Liege:
http://www.news.cn/english/2021-09/02…

Viet Nam News – Vietnam Railways launches freight train service to Belgium:
https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/995636…

AP News – Harris urges Vietnam to join US in opposing China ‘bullying’:
https://apnews.com/article/health-pan…

SCMP – In Vietnam’s power plants, US finds a counter to China’s belt and road:
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinio…

Harvard University Atlas of Economic Complexity – Vietnam:
https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/explore…

US-Sponsored Terrorism in Myanmar

Myanmar Now – After a bold attack, PDF fighters consider their next move:
https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/a…

Myanmar Now – Attackers in Yangon kill suspected military informant then detonate bombs when junta forces arrive to investigate :
https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/a…

Myanmar Now – As spate of killings continues, anti-junta forces warn of more to come:
https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/a…

Reuters – Boycott and bombings mar Myanmar’s new school year:
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa…

Main Topic:

The Diplomat – Afghanistan and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization:
https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/afgha…

Arab News – Set in concrete: In a first, Kabul builds $5m road via tough terrain to access China:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1863386…

Global Times – Afghanistan’s China Town reopens, not disrupted by the deadly blasts in Kabul airport: sources:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20210…

The Weekend Australian – Chinatown hopes new Afghan regime will be good for business:
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/worl…

The Sydney Morning Herald – ‘Wild West’: China’s trade hopes in Afghanistan now hostage to nation’s security:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/chi…

The Diplomat – Does the Belt and Road Have a Future in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan?:
https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/does-…

South China Morning Post – China seeks to expand belt and road to Afghanistan in name of security as US withdraws troops:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplo…