China Sends Another Clear Message To the US??

Hello, hi, hello everybody, welcome to Geopolitical Trends. My name is David Oualaalou, so good to be with you as always. I know it has been a while, you know, it's been just a little crazy schedule in this part of the world where I'm at. So few more, uh, shall we say another week or two before I'll go back home, then we'll resume the regular schedule. So anyway, so excited to be with you here, guys, as always. And before I'll do anything, actually, I would like really to say hi to Heidi Luquel. Heidi Luquel was one of the first members for the channel, so good to see you here. Uh, funny, I haven't seen your name for a while. I figured you're busy, so it's good to see you here. So, uh, let me first say, uh, like I always do, I'd like to thank the members and supporters for your continued support. It means a lot to me. So just FYI, so far we have about 30 members and supporters, and like I promised you, and I am a man of my word, I only follow through with what I say, Once we reach 100 members or supporters, I'm gonna do a, an exclusive live stream for you, for these members and supporters, where I will answer your questions specifically. It will be for you, so I'm not gonna be talking about anything except to answer your most pressing questions. So, so today's topic, what are we gonna be talking about today? Well, let me share a picture with you here. So you can see here is what we're going to be talking about today. It's China. Why is China ready to help Central Asian countries build defense capabilities? It is a fair question, and I am going to get into the, the depth of this because that's something I'm familiar with. But like I always do, you have to think about the 3 key questions: the timing— why now? Why did China came forward with this? And second question is how this is going to shape the regional and global security writ large. So those are key, key questions you need to, uh, uh, keep in mind as we discuss this. And by the way, guys, uh, oh, let me say thank you to— yeah, yeah, and Kabilis, thank you so much for your continued support. Truly, truly, truly appreciate it. Thank you so much. So Please guys, if you can give me a thumbs up as far as the sound. I want to make sure, I don't want to take this for granted. So if you can just give me a thumbs up so I know it is working accordingly. So, uh, oh yep, good to see you from Kuala Lumpur. Believe it or not, the location I'm in, there are some individuals from Kuala Lumpur. It seems to be a delegation here, whatever business they're doing. I, I don't ask them, so So anyway, uh, Tony, good to see you. Tony, uh, Stefan, good to see you as well. So, uh, let me, let me, uh, do a tour around the world like I always do because I always share this with you. And I'm going to share some images with you because there are some information, uh, that I looked over and it's not covered in detail. There are some, uh, outlets from around the world that addressing the topic, but very, very, very, very briefly. So I decided to just highlight this to you. So let me share the pictures here with you because you need to see. Here's the first one. This one here, this has to do with, uh, Iran and Russia signing an agreement to build a railway line which will be competing with none other than the canal, the Suez Canal. And you all know where— how much trade goes through there. And by the way, this image, I need to give credit to Reuters. This image belong to Reuters, but, uh, Reuters rather, and I like to give them credit. So, uh, just, uh, you give credit where credit is due. All right, uh, second one, it has to do with the G7 here. Uh, G7, uh, what's interesting about it is not the G7 in its itself. Rather, it's the, uh, oh, where is the picture? Right here. Uh, rather, it's the pressure that the G7 now putting on India, believe it or not, you know. And here is what they said, and I read this still going on, by the way, for— it's going to be for 2 days. Uh, there will be an opportunity for a Group of Seven leaders to present their case directly to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi Uh, because India has close military ties to Russia, and as you may know, India refused to condemn, uh, uh, Moscow's fighting or conflict or war, whatever term you want to use, with Ukraine. So basically, uh, India— and you have China as well— they never condemned Russia. Well, it's because they have business deals with Russia. India is getting oil from Russia at a discounted price. So this is very, very crucial. Uh, so the G7, and I'm going to be watching for the final statements of the G7, so, because I always like to read the final communiqué. So, uh, the next one is, uh, this here is Bilderberg. And again, this is not being reported in detail. The 69th Bilderberg meeting, which taking place started yesterday and is going to end on the 21st, and it's going to be— it is, it is currently going in Lisbon, Portugal. Usually you have about 130 participants. Those are ranging from— you're looking at a diverse groups of, you know, you're looking at different industries: finance, academia, labor, media, believe it or not. They all, uh, and, and this might shock you guys or surprise you, I did submit a request to attend the Bilderberg meeting couple years ago. And, uh, I don't know if I still have the email when they communicated back with me, but they turned me down. I am not a millionaire, I'm not a billionaire, so I was turned down. But anyway, so if you know a little bit about Bilderberg, is a very, very shadowy group very influential behind the scenes. And by the way, I am going to share with you, because I know where to look for information, and I'm going to share with you the link to their, uh, not share with you, but I'm gonna post it right here for you guys. It's a link to their, uh, to their, the participant list. It has the names on it. Yeah, you're looking at about, uh, 200+ names. So take a look at the list and say— I saw some names that are recognized, so I wanted to share that with you. Next one is this, this funny picture. This is very interesting, and I will tell you why. This picture here, uh, what you're looking at the left is Armenian Prime Minister, uh, Nikol Pashmanyan. Who agreed to meet the Azerbaijani president, who is on the right of— if you look straight to the picture on the right, uh, Ilham Aliyev. The— he agreed to meet with him, and guess where? In Moscow, not in Europe. And yet when the— when this article came up, they put the picture of— this is, uh, Michel, he's the head of the European, uh, some delegation of sort. Is in charge there. So instead of putting the picture of Vladimir Putin, because they go into Russia, they put the, uh, the, uh, Michel, the member of the parliament there, and so forth. So I find it very tricky for the Europeans to do that, and we don't know why. As a matter of fact, in the G7 meeting, Europeans are pushing more for more sanctions on Russia. Next one is— now we already did that. Okay, let's remove this one. And the next one is this one. This is the, uh, of course the Queen died of England a way back, but guess what? The UK's government spent about more than $200 million on, on, on Elizabeth's— on Queen Elizabeth's funeral. You know, to me it's like no comment is necessary. That's what I tweet. It's not a laughing matter because the British people are suffering while the government is spending $200 million over her coffin, whatever. So anyway, so you got the idea. That is what, what, what's surprising about this kind of approach for government. So, all right, health section. And yes, I always have a tip for you for health. Now this time around, I am not going to be talking about any spices, whatever. What I'm going to be talking about Let's just share the picture with you right here. You all know what this is, right? Can anybody write down on the chat, chat box what this is? Yeah, let me see quickly here if it shows up. I'm sure you guys guessed right. Uh, it takes a while before this shows up. Uh, you're right. Hi Jack, you're right. Uh, Michel is a Belgian politician serving as the president of the European Council. Thank you very much. I forget his title. That's how he doesn't mean a thanks to me, but thank you very much, Jack, for sharing that. So sugar, you're absolutely correct, white sugar, Jack. Why is this important for you guys to know? And again, you need to understand the danger. Yeah, the danger of sugar. The problems occur when you consume too much sugar. And the thing is that most of our current food that is manufactured They add sugar to it. They add sugar to, you know, everything you can think of, from meat to soups to bread to flavor yogurts to cookies. Of course, the cake, the candies, all this is created— even the ketchup. I don't use ketchup. I don't like it. It has— is loaded with sugar. So you guys stay away from that. It's your health that matters here. And I did find the research by Dr. Frank Hu. Last name is H-U. I hope I pronounce it correctly. And he's a— Dr. Frank is a professor of nutrition at Harvard University. And he said, and I wrote here, and I quote rather, excess sugar's impact on obesity and diabetes is well documented, but one area That may surprise many men is how their taste for sugar can have a serious impact on their heart health. End of quote. It's very problematic, guys, and you need to really be aware of the sugar. Whatever, if you can cut down— this part of the world where I'm at, they consume a lot of sugar. And yeah, I can just see when I take a walk and seeing the people, they look not healthy because the amount of sugar— everything is added sugar to it. Same thing when I used to go to the Middle East and I used to spend time, uh, they add a lot of sugar. Afghanistan, they use a lot of sugar in tea. So much sugar is not good. So, and here is one thing that I need to share with you because you need to know the impact on your heart. It's really problematic. And you need to understand that one. So they also— sugar can impact your brain function, and you would know why, because here's the thing: too much added sugar changes how your brain functions, which means the chemistry of your brain. I am not an MD, just to put disclaimer here. I'm not. This is based on research that I looked into, and of course I ask people that I know who are specialized in this field. I only share with you what I know and what I do, because I can't tell you go do this and I'm not doing it, because that will be deceiving, and I can't live with myself if I ever do that, and I will never do that to you. I want you to know this. So, so it affects your brain functions and has been linked— here is the thing— too much sugar has been linked to cognitive decline and degenerative Disorders such as the two main ones, Alzheimer's and dementia, they are tied to sugar. So my best advice to you as a member of the community here, like I always say, your time means a lot to me. So I, if I share this, I share with you as a friend, uh, because you can lose everything else money, wealth, whatever, cars, houses, whatever. But if you lose your health, you have nothing. You know, if you do one thing, make sure you take good care of your health. That's your best asset I can share with you. So anyway, let's jump in into our topic. We got a lot to cover on this one here. It's because it's very, very dynamic. The statement by China at this time, it didn't happen in a vacuum. Like I always say, things do not happen vacuum in geopolitical landscape, and China understands very well that landscape because they are part of it and they are moving through it. So this is why I need to understand this. So, and, and Al Ali used the term an unprecedented summit. So, 'cause that's the summit between the China and the other members of the Central Asian countries. And the reason why it's unprecedented, because China pitched the idea of building defense capabilities for those countries in Central Asia. And there is a reason, there are as a matter of fact, two main reasons. If I am to put my geopolitical analyst hat, I tell you there is a geopolitical dimension to it. And there is the economic aspects to it. Why economic? Just to jump or jumpstart the conversation here, because of $1 trillion BRI that China is involved in. So, so here's the thing, uh, Chinese president, President Xi, uh, said in Beijing that— he said that Beijing is ready to help Central Asian countries build defense capabilities Okay, that's one. And aim to strengthen investment agreements with Central Asian countries. That's why I said the two-track, the geopolitical and economic. And if I— you remember, I am sure you remember, like I always say, you always remember, the financial aspect is tied to geopolitical outcomes and vice versa. They go hand in hand. So that is why it's very, very important. And the, uh, uh, uh, the idea of when President Xi mentioned this, he had in mind— and I bet you this, I mean, I'm not— I wasn't sitting there in a room, of course, but again, you analyze it based on my academic background, based on my experience, based on the reading of the statements and so forth. Is this— to me, scream loud Two things, sovereignty and security. And the reason being because China is watching what the United States is doing in Asia, especially with the two, Japan and Philippines. Taiwan is another aspect which we will, I will address as I move forward. But this is the thing to why China pitched this one here is because sovereignty and security, and I may add also independence. Independence from whom? Independence from other major power coming in and settling, like what we are seeing right now in Philippines. That is exactly— but before you— before we move forward, it behooves us to understand, like I always say, history. History is very important because without understanding history we won't be able to put this within the right— the geopolitical, economic, financial, social, and of course historical context. Just understanding that aspect. And what am I referring to? Let me share a picture with you here so you'll see. Uh, here's what I'm talking about. The history of this part of the world, Central Asia, is so crucial, very crucial. And when you look at the proximities look at here, China on this end, Russia on this end, and you got Iran on the other— and, and on this side here. Then, then you look at these countries and say to yourself, okay, I'm sorry, Iran is around here. That's where, uh, uh, I was looking at the Caspian Sea on this side here. But this is the idea of where you have to think about this, not only from a geopolitical but economic as well. That is why it's very, very crucial for us to understand the history. Well, the brief history is this, is that traditionally— pardon me— is that traditionally Euroasia, which is that part of the world area, has remained almost— and I say almost— unnoticed in the huge continent. It's big and it has massive natural resources. Continent's complex and multicultural, multifaceted history, because its history goes way back. And when you compare that, of course, with the great civilizations of Western and Eastern Europe, China, India, and the Middle East, that's why Central Asia is crucial. And if you, if you read about history or learn something about history, this part of the world, if If you look at way back, the great powers that were able to sort of extend their influence around the world had to ensure they have either control or access to that part of the world, Central Asia. And the ones that lost power, British Empire being the latest, you know, lost power is because they lost Central Asia. So could it be, and the question I put for you is, Could it be that China wants to prevent similar outcome? What do you think? Leave me a response, leave me an answer on the chat box, because I like you guys to engage with me here in the— we are a community, we're learning from each other here. So do you think that China is thinking in terms of want to avoid similar outcome to what happened to the Brits or British Empire back then? So when you look at this region, Uh, let me pull up the picture once again just for you to see here. Uh, when you look at this picture, uh, uh, the vast region stretching roughly from the, uh, what they call it, Volga, Volga River, all the way to Manchuria and to the nor— northern Chinese borderland. You know, this is why Central Asia has been cradle, you know, and also has been called 'Pivot of History,' in quote. Most literature, if you look at the literature that talks about this part of the world, they are referring to this term. And that's why I put it in quotes, because it's not my word. So I give credit to whomever put this one here and this one, because many scholars have used the term 'Pivots of History.' That's where the turn of history. And of course, is a land where back then there were nomadic invaders and Silk Road. The traders changed the destinies and the trajectory of many states that ringed its border, you know. And this we're talking about including pre-modern Europe, okay, the Middle East, China included in, in that, in that in that period, that is. So this is why in Central Asia the world history almost centered around that part, like as I said before, you know. The interesting enough is that the, the climate back then was slightly different. Of course, the traders who were brave enough to sort of sustain the heat and cold for the old caravans, they were routes because that's how it was, the Silk Road. Going all the way to, uh, let me move this picture, all the way to, uh, Middle East, okay, linked to the Middle East and linked to Europe. You look at also the, the Mongol Empire of, of Genghis Khan, okay, and his successors. You look at also the largest, uh, uh, land empire in history at that time. Uh, you look at, for example, one thing that I found very interesting was the invention of gunpowder. That's where it started, which allowed— of course, now by the time gunpowder was emerged, then you have some sort of a change in the equation as far as balance of power at that time. So then you have the power struggle of Russia and China. And later on Russia and Britain, all for control of the area. That's why I said it's very, very important. So the region today, the Central Asia, is a key area that neighbors such as, uh, geopolitical hotspots in that part, like for example Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and of course China. And this is why when you look at the map You know, you look at all these countries right here surrounded in this, and I, I spent time in Uzbekistan. I used to go there back in the day when I was still inside Washington. So, um, sometimes I'll go from, uh, Uzbekistan to Afghanistan. So I, I was able to see with my own eyes the influence or of, of that region and how, because all of them after the disintegration of Soviet Union Things have changed. So, and this is why I posed the question for you: do you think China want to avoid similar outcome that the British Empire experienced back then, even though China doesn't claim control over that area except that it's, it's neighbors? So that's what I found interesting. So here are the two things, like I said earlier, The two trajectories, geopolitical and economic. So let's start with the geopolitical first. You know, when, when you have a head of state, in this case President Xi, stress that Central Asia has the pillars— get this word, this is the key wording— has the pillars and capabilities to become an important communication center for Euro-Asian region. It didn't say— he didn't say it will be— it will become, uh, uh, the, uh, uh, an important center for communication with China. Euro-Asian region. So, so what's interesting, I found that presidency's terms— and again, I am certain, and again, I could be wrong, and if I am wrong and I find myself wrong I will admit it and said I made a mistake. There is no shame in saying I was wrong. I think, uh, some of us— not all, I should not generalize— some of us have that ego of I know it all. And when we make a mistake, some of us makes mistake, they having a hard time coming forward and say I am sorry, I made a mistake. When in reality, you know what, guys, when you admit to your mistake is a sign of strength. It's not a weakness. People misinterpret that. When you say, 'I'm sorry, I made a mistake,' or 'I was wrong,' it's a sign of strength. We all make mistakes. Other— if we don't, then the world would never develop. So, so, but what I believe is that President Xi used the specific term, and the term is, and I put this in quotes, A new era, a new era in relations between China and Central Asia. That's what he started the conversation with during the meeting. Why that is? Once again, this is not a some vague terminology or just empty words. And again, this is my opinion, it was probably President Xi's subtle way of saying the geopolitical changes on the global landscape is upon us here. And for you, Central Asia, you need to prepare yourself for that change because it will emerge and it will move forward whether you like it or not. And since that area is near his country neighbors, he wanted to make sure. That's why he used the term in quotes, new era. He could have said the new geopolitical realities or the new global order or whatever term, but he specifically chose the word new era because it's in an era, it's changing the dynamic. So, and this is why the meeting here between Kazakhstan— let me see again just for you guys to see, because it's nice to help to see what everything is here. You got Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. Let me put my glass so I put them— point them to you. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It's right here. Where's Uzbekistan? Right here. This is Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, uh, uh, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Tajikistan was always the closest one to Afghanistan there. I remember in a day when I was there, so, in Afghanistan, so So, and also what's important about, uh, uh, I pay personally, I pay close attention to the wording in statements. And again, I put up the, the statements that President Xi, uh, uh, uh, said when he addressed, uh, his counterparts. And he said, and I quote, I am confident that our common commitment will make the summit a great success and usher in a new era in China-Central Asia relations. End of quote. It is packed, it is packed, but also President Xi is sending a message to two directions. One of them is the United States and collective West, and and the other one to Japan and Philippines. Mark my word on it, that is exactly where his message is going. Of course, he's not gonna be sending a message to Taiwan because he doesn't need to. And I'm gonna get into that as I move forward here. And again, because the idea of, it's almost, it's presidency's way of calling on these countries to sort of, Get on the wagon before the train leaves the station. Get on the wagon for the rapid changes that's taking— or development, uh, that is, that's taking place, especially in that part of the world. And again, you're gonna see the economic aspects of it, why that is so. And this is why, uh, and by the way, the meeting that I wish I had the I couldn't find the map for the location, but I did find some information about the city. The meeting that took place, was taking place between China and the 5 members of Central Asia, was in none other than, uh, I don't know how— I'm gonna put it in the chat box if somebody can help me pronounce it correctly. All right, where is it? Right here. Here is the city called Xi'an. Xi'an. I, I'm sorry, I, I don't know how to pronounce it, so, but that's what it is, uh, the, the, that city. So which, here is the interesting thing, that city in itself, Xi'an, that is, links China and Europe. Via what? Central Asia. This is why you go back in history and you see where the Silk Road used to go and why now China's embarking on the BRI, the Belt and Road Initiative, and which route is going to be using. So, and again, this is because it's almost history coming full circle there. So, and, uh, uh, because China of course established ties with those countries 31 years ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union. So, and by the way, uh, this city, uh, Xi'an— let me see if anybody put, uh, the right pronunciation for it so I can pronounce it correctly. I'd like to know. Okay, Xi'an. I hope I did Sian. Okay, anyway, that's, that's, uh, uh, I, I like to pronounce it correctly. So this city, uh, has a history that goes way back. When I say way back, I'm talking about millennials, you know, because it was back then, it was the, the, the, uh, eastern, on the eastern side, easternmost city on the famous Silk Road back then. That's why, uh, it, it, it is about 1,000 kilometers to the— kilometers to the southwest of Beijing, okay, and 1,700 kilometers north of Guangzhou. So it is considered the 14th the 14th largest city in China, so with a population of almost, I think, 8 million 500, somewhere around that, that number. So, so with this in mind, we're gonna have to think in terms of, okay, we provided or, or we addressed the historical aspect, we addressed to both the geopolitical and economic dimensions onto this But it's still the, the, the question that looms large is that, uh, where is really, uh, like I said in the, at the beginning, those 3 questions, the timing of it. Why now? Why China didn't do this 6 months ago or waited 6 months from now? Could the timing has to do with something specific? What do you think? So it's because I bet you whatever, this is not happening in the vacuum. Mike, my word on it. So it's not. So the way I see it, and again, put it in my geopolitical analyst head and looking at this from outside in, it looks to me, given what's going on around the world, and especially when it comes down to Russia and Ukraine conflict, China, ah, I will not use the term taking advantage, but rather filling the vacuum that was created by Russia's conflict. That is the way I see it. It's a political move, you know. If I were advising a head of state in similar situation and I said to him or to her, this is what you need to do, you need to initiate Okay, uh, some sort of a proposal or an initiative by which you cement the relationship between your country and the neighbors. If the vacuum is clear and available, you need to fill it, because if you don't, some other Western nation from the collective West is going to come in. This is exactly what we are witnessing right now with Japan, with Philippines, with Australia, Taiwan to a degree, and I'll get to that as I move forward. So now, others could interpret this as China's, in this case, President Xi is seeking to expand the role of China on the global stage. I, I do see the logic of that. Yeah, I do see the logic of that, and there is a probability that is the case. But the question where, where I differ with— I, I, you know, I differ with some of, of Western analysts that saying it's because the domination about that China to control the world order. I just don't see that. China's system is is not work, will not work for us or any other Western nation. Same thing, Western nation system will not work for China. But that doesn't mean China cannot expand its influence outside its borders. That comes with the territory, as we say. What am I referring to here? I'm referring to the expansion on the economic front. We did it after World War II. You know, the United States emerged because part of the victorious allies and so forth. The economy start— the economy start to expand, and it came with that the role on the global stage. That's exactly what I see going on with China, except I believe, and this is my personal opinion, China is going to approach it differently. China is going to approach it, or is approaching it, from an economic aspect. Not a military one. That is where the difference. But the vacuum is there, and if China doesn't fill it, it will be problematic. That is why you seen, uh, uh, why China, uh, sort of moved forward with this. At the same time, you have to think about, you know, geopolitics is not the only element that can define everything. No, geopolitics is one element among many that can influence the trajectory. No, I'm going to give you just quick example here. Uh, excuse me. The example is that the volume of trade— get this, guys— the volume of trade between, for example, China and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and, uh, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, meaning all the 5 countries reached about $70 billion last year, 2022. $70 billion. And here is the interesting aspects of all this. Is that it recorded basically a growth of 22%. That is not a small number. Usually you'll see growth of 5, 7, 8, even in double digits will be in about 11 or 12, but not 22. And when I see this growth in 22, this is in the first quarter of 2023, of the same quarter, similar to last year. So basically, the trade last year in 2022 was $70 billion. This one here this year, just the first quarter, went up by 22%. You do the math and you see the idea. So this leads me to talk about the economics, since we are on the economic aspect. So, and the reason also as to why China is doing all this, why China is getting sort of decided to move into this direction by upgrading the military capability or the defense capabilities of Central Asia, okay, because the economic aspects. And what am I referring to here? I'm referring to China's a trillion-dollar BRI, the Belt and Road Initiative. The most, and I'll use the term here, the most prominent geopolitical project of President Xi. It is my belief when President Xi is gone, either passes away or give up power, whatever might be the case, his legacy is going to be defined by two things. One is the BRI and second is the reunification. Peaceful reunification of Taiwan with mainland. That is what I believe his legacy is going to be. I am in the process of writing a book about China, but I feel too early for me to put that in my book, even though my book is going to be— it takes me about 2, 3 years, 2 years at least, a year and a half to 2 years just to, to do the research. Then I have another year of the writing because I have to And even with that, I am not ready yet to put that in writing in a book because I am still waiting on certain signs. But at least I'm starting to see what that legacy or how that legacy is going to be defined. And I see those two things, the PRI, okay, and the peaceful reunification of Taiwan with the mainland. So So on the economic front, when you consider all this, because China is the second largest energy consumer, you know, and of course you may know or you may not know that, uh, China had invested billions of dollars in energy, in exploiting natural gas reserves in Central Asia. Because here is the thing, Uzbekistan— Central Asia is rich in natural resources. There's a lot of oil under that ground. There's a lot of gas. One that I am very familiar with, it has to do with Kazakhstan. Believe it or not, the oil reserves underground in Kazakhstan almost matches if not outperform those in the Middle East. And if you know anything about Middle East is that it is rich in oil. Kazakhstan has far more. The only problem in Kazakhstan and the whole Central Asia is a rugged terrain. It's so hard to get to because the terrain is so— I know we have technology nowadays, it would be different than what it was 20 years ago, But it's still— it's no different than what I saw in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has a lot of natural resources, but it's hard to get to. So this is the aspect that I see economically speaking, and those are not small matters because China has to think in terms of what-if scenario. Because China will— China is not well. There is a weak spot in China's strategy. All the West understand that. And again, you know, if I am to advise a head of state, you know, it will be the idea of you have to ensure access to energy. And this is where the, the weak spot of China is, is ensuring access to energy. All I'm referring to— it doesn't mean China doesn't have access. China has access to different resources. It's in case of tensions, what's going to happen to the routes where that energy is coming to China, because Chinese economy depends, you know, when you consider China is the largest energy consumer, you know, it's nothing new. I knew about it about 12 years, 14 years ago when I was still in Washington and had, you know, information that not other, other people would not have access to. So that's the idea. So it paved the way for me that back then to understand that China will have to ensure that this weak spot is covered. This is where I see the importance of the economic aspects of— then there is another dimension that's outside of this. It's tied more to geopolitics than economics, and this one has to do with— let me Oh, let me say thank you to— oh, hi Boone! Thank you very much Boone for your super sticker. I truly appreciate it. Uh, BRI is such a brilliant idea. I, uh, I'm so many ways— in many ways you're absolutely correct Boone. Uh, I wish I had a— I don't think so— a Brody with me. Uh, let me see if No, I didn't. I thought I had a book with me of a friend of mine who wrote a book about, about the BRI. Now next time I'll show you the book, guys, because it's— I read it, it's very, very, very interesting, and somebody who understands the culture. So, uh, uh, it's, uh, is knowledgeable into this. Uh, let me share this with you. What was I saying? I lost my train of thoughts. Uh, oh yes, I got it. Uh, so why is this happening? Also, as I said, it's because of this meeting that is going to— is taking place, started yesterday, and it's going to end on 21st. This is the G7, you know. This is the idea also why China announced this at this time. Because the Group of Seven are meeting as we speak in the southern city of, uh, uh, uh, in Japan, in Hiroshima. That's where they're meeting for their annual, uh, G7, uh, summit. I'm sorry, not from the 18th, from the 19th through the 21st, in two days. And of course, what I found very silly about this meeting because I read up the first press release about it. They are already thinking about what the final communiqué is gonna be about. Basically two main things: increase sanctions on Russia and challenge China's economic trades. So, so you get your— you guys can read between the lines. You can read between the lines. Russia and China, that's basically what G7 is all about instead of focusing on their own economy. You look how Europe is struggling now with energy. I'm here in this part of the world. I met some, for example, German people from Germany, and I asked them, and they're not happy about how the government is operating. I met some people from France, and I asked them, they're not happy with what their president is doing. You know, European citizens are not content with what's going on, and yet you have this G7 meeting is going to be talking about China and Russia. So like, go figure. So then there is one big elephant in a room, and again, wasn't talked about openly in Western media. I did find the information elsewhere, and again, I know where to look for information. I have my own shall we say, contacts. And I am on the ground. That's the reason why I'm moving around the world right now. So just for me to see with my own eyes, because if I am to share something with you guys information-wise, I want to make sure is as accurate as it can be. This is to me what a role of an analyst is. I can't be sitting there from just sharing information with you from a chair Yeah, I can get the information, whatever. It makes big difference. Why? Because my credibility is in line here. So that is the reason why I'm doing what I'm doing, you know. Did somebody pay for this trip for me? No, you know, no, just us, the geopolitics, the whole crew of Geopolitics in Conflict. And this is what brought me to one point, uh, I'm— I've seen some stupid comments. I'm going to use the term stupid comment about somebody didn't like the fact we did— I did a promotional video for a company that reached out to me to do that. You know, sort of, you know, how stupid one can get. These individuals didn't understand that it was a business decision, has nothing to do with geopolitics. Because here is the reason why, guys, and I want you to know because I promise to be honest with you. I want you to know that I gave up a full-time teaching position at the university so I can keep doing these videos on YouTube. But it requires time for me to research, it requires movements, it requires access, it requires so many other things, and those things require cost. And when I read that kind of stupid comment, I kind of lost it because to me I didn't think We have somebody in a community that can't think logically and realize that this is a business decision. You know, you don't want to watch it, don't watch it. What even makes it worse is when this person, or whomever that is, say, well, I am going to unsubscribe. By no means. It's such childish behavior. If you want to unsubscribe, then do it. More power to you. And I'd rather not have you in our community because you're gonna bring down the level, and I don't, I don't tolerate that, and I won't allow that. So that is the reason why, guys, is because some companies— and the reason they are reaching out to me and reaching out to the big channel also, it's because the credibility. That is the reason why I don't get involved in them as far as sort of tell them, well, I only do this or do that. No, it's because my credibility in line. And second, I will not allow them to tell me what to say and not to say. I kind of made it clear. So just, I want to let this out, out of my chest. Now it feels good because I like positive energy. Negative energy, stay away from it. And anybody pull you into that direction, wash your hand of him or her quickly because he will drain you. Life is too short. Don't waste it on stuff that don't matter. Yeah, anyway, here is the big elephant, and the big elephant to all this, it has to do with, believe it or not, United States and Taiwan are in trade talks. Yeah, US trade talks with Taiwan as we speak. Could it be again why China decided to at this time to launch this? Because China has already expressed its dissatisfaction with how the US is approaching, uh, Taiwan as far as trade. Well, Yeah, you can enter into some, uh, uh, agreement of sorts, but you still need to rem— when I say you, the West, the US, still need to remember the One China policy, which we signed on 3 communiqués: 1972, 1979, and 1984, if I'm not mistaken. 3 communiqués. Because to me, that suggests now We are disregarding the One China policy. In other words, we are reversing policy, and that is no way of conducting business diplomatically speaking. This is why I find myself going back to the statement that I said a couple times. There are amateurs in Washington, DC that handles foreign policy because we don't have any foreign policy. Because to me, this is, uh, this is a proof, evidence to that. How can you enter into this while ignoring the One China policy? How can you enter into, for example, selling more weapons to Taiwan when you are— when, when, when there is One China policy? I'm not saying that we should always ask China's permission, whatever. No, no, no, that's not what I'm saying. And we're not going to do that. I'll tell you this straightforward. Except that the problem in the United States is this kind of behaviors is only complicate tensions, makes them more complicated and aggravates the relations between the bilateral relations between China and the United States. So this just happened, uh, on Thursday, by the way, the conclusion of trade talks with Taiwan, between the United States and Taiwan, to strengthen economic ties. And this is ahead— get this, guys— this is ahead of, of a, a signing of a trade deal that was less than one year of— since the initiative was launched. You all remember the trip of the former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and, and the meeting of the current Speaker of the House who met with Tsai when she was going through California on her way to Central America or something like that. So, so this is where I see the problem moving forward, and that is going to create more tensions, uh, uh, especially how the 21st century is going to be managed economically and geopolitically. So, uh, the US and Taiwan have launched these trade talks back in 2022. I recall that one, and even back then, uh, some voices inside Washington quietly were saying, uh, It might not be a good idea. So, and, and some in the administration went ahead and challenged China on that. And, and we're, you know, where this is going to lead to, not a, not a, it's not going to bode well for, uh, for the relationship moving forward. And this is again, uh, what prompts me to talk about this topic because you don't, you might see some headlines about it, whatever. I, I doubt they will go into depth of it. I doubt it because, uh, sometimes when information is not detailed, it's for a reason. You want to keep the lid on that information. So this is why I found this live streams very, very important and crucial, uh, to keep— like, uh, my next one, I am thinking right now about doing another one for you guys and this has to do with what I mentioned earlier, is this one here, this picture. I want to do a talk about this one because not only I wrote a book about both countries, about Iran and Russia, but also what I see coming moving forward with this. So if you think you would like this kind of topic, just leave me a comment and I'll be happy to— I do have the information, I do have access to my own research that I did back then. And, uh, I can only elaborate more and add more insights into it. So, all right, let me see first of all where you're joining me from. I'm gonna answer one or two questions and I will sign off on this one here. All right, let me see here. I'm gonna go all the way to the top here and, uh, okay. Yeah, if you will be kind and just type in— I mean, I know some of you, like for example Jack Rabbit from, uh, England, like, uh, uh, uh, uh, Boone from Germany, uh, and Anna Kevich from Indonesia. So I kind of get the idea of, uh, but it's always nice to have, uh, some of you, uh, uh, letting me know where you are, where you are joining me from. Good thing to get rich, David Oualaalou, if you want to. Oh, oh, that, that's funny one, Hedy. Good things to get rich, David, if you want to Bilderberg. Well, they turned me down. They didn't— I, I reached out to them. I give them credit. I give them credit that they had the courtesy to email me back and said, sorry, we can't invite you. So straightforward and You take it like a man and say, okay, thank you, and, and that's it. Rich, uh, I don't know about that. I am not really interested in that because, uh, and I mean it, and I mean it, uh, this trip, I moved there around the world, and I will share all this with you when I go back. When I go back home, I'm gonna do a live once with photos and everything here. What I noticed was, you know, certain parts of the world, not all, is the health aspects of the population, whatever part of the world I was in. And people, they don't look healthy to me. And, and, and, and became more convinced because I am not in— I'm not in my 20s. You'll be surprised to know my age. I'm not in my 20s. Uh, but I start to really to be convinced about taking care of health. It's very important, the greatest asset ever. Money comes and goes, you know, wealth comes and goes, you know, and doesn't last forever anyway. When we check out, you know, we check out the way— the same way we came in, with nothing. And we leave with nothing. It's just how you treated a fellow human being, no more, no less. So, so that's, that's, uh what I'm moving towards. All right, let's see where you are joining me from here. Uh, oh, oh, Abel Malcolm, good to see you as always. Uh, okay, I'm gonna just see see where you are joining me from here. And of course I'll answer, uh, okay, let's— let me, let me jump on this quickly here. Uh, Jack Roberts for question: Pakistan has a chance of getting, of getting an Iran-Central Asian and Russia oil pipeline, close relations with China, G7 small time frame to get India out of Eurasian camp. Will India follow G7? I doubt it. I doubt it, Jack. Now for this I will be shocked and surprised. I know already the questions loom large as to how come India has one foot in Quad and another foot in BRICS. Yeah, it's kind of put a big question mark on their credibility, you know, but I don't see them doing this. I know Europe might try to lure India because soon it's going to surpass— as a matter of fact, it might already surpass China as far as population, 1.4. Which means consumption, a market. So European businesses will be looking at that. But it will be a strategic mistake of India if he followed that, that, that route and joined G7. It would be a big mistake. And I hope whomever is advising Prime Minister Narendra Modi will see the long-term impact. The long-term impact is this: or the outcome is this: Asia is becoming the global economic hub. It's not Western Europe, it's not the United States. It's a fact, it's reality. The wealth has already shifted from the West to the East, and that economy is led by China. Just the reality, it's a fact. That's just how it is. Uh, as to Pakistan, well, Pakistan is now marred into I hope, I hope I'm wrong. Pakistan does not fall in a civil war because I'm seeing some signs. The ISI is not willing to give up power because that's what this is all about in Pakistan. It's about ISI giving up power because Imran Khan, Imran Khan wants to change the status quo. According to the Pakistani people. It's the Pakistani people that wants him. It's not him who wants himself to be appointed. No, but the ISI having a hard time because the— if you know anything about Pakistan politics, is that ISI has always managed this from— and I did a, I did a video on it. We did a video on the other channel on this one. So, all right, let me see here. Oh, uh, okay, let me see here. Poyang Su from Canada, good to have you. Uh, Crypto Gator, sunny Florida, good to have you. Corsi, Corsi Wee from Malaysia, right here from Malaysia, good to have you. Oh, I got somebody from Spain. Oh, good to have you from Spain. I wonder what part in Spain you're from. I'm sure you heard about Real Madrid lost the game, huh? You know, hey, they go, of course, from Amsterdam. Good to have you. Uh, India, Mani from India. Uh, okay. Oh, Alpha Omega from Sinaloa, Mexico. Good to have you, Jack. Of course, Robert from UK. Uh, Esu from UK as well. Uh, uh, Boon from Berlin but originally from Malaysia. I'm proud to be, uh, Boon, by the way, has been with us guys from the beginning. I, I remember Boon from way back and, and truly appreciate him and all of you for that matter. So, uh, Coach Ohoy, uh, good to see you from Malaysia. Of course, Coach Ohoy has been with us as well for quite a while, so I truly appreciate the continued support. It means a lot. So, uh, let me see someone else here from— pardon me, uh, Liet Le was born in Vietnam, but my parents is Chinese, you know. Yeah, so that's— it's like in the United States, guys. We all see, yeah, we Americans, Americans, but if you look back, we all came from somewhere. And, you know, I always ask my students this question, believe it or not. When I start the semester, I ask them, who's American here? And I always have 2, 3, 4 students raise their hands. And, and, and, and not to put them in a spot, but I said, keep this question in mind, and I'm gonna get back to it at the end of the semester. Because I teach government, so I go through and everything. And once I explained throughout the semester, this is why I'm gonna do a course about government. In depth. Most Americans do not even know the history of it. So, and I explained to them that we all came from somewhere. Yes, some of us born in the US, but if you trace the ancestors, we all came from somewhere. Uh, the land belonged to the Indians. So, uh, okay, let me see, uh, Uh, Ro from Philippines. I wonder what part of Philippines. Ben, I wonder what part of Philippines you're from. So, all right, I'll do one more question and that's it. And whose question here is? Robert. Jack Robert once again. It's just because it's in front of me, guys. So, uh, uh, Jack Robert question: the Caspian Sea trade, uh, going to make the Red Sea less relevant? More peaceful. Peace likely to come Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Very, very, very, very interesting question indeed, to a degree. And the reason why I say to a degree, it's because if I go back here to the map, of course we're going to be looking at the Caspian Sea right here. I, I don't have the map of Africa in front of me here. Why is this important? It's important because you have to understand the current conflict in Sudan. And again, in geopolitics, nothing happens in vacuum. The current conflict in Sudan, which I already talked about, beside the, the, the, uh, uh, what's the word, the tensions between the army and the, uh, uh, the militia forces, security forces, and so forth, this also has to do with Russia. Being there and China being there, but mainly Russia. Why is this? Because Russia entered into conversation or talks with the Sudanese government to establish naval base with access to Red Sea. Red Sea will give you access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Even if we ignore the Arabian Sea, we can't ignore access to Indian Ocean because 1/4 of global commodities traverse through those waters, and that is where it's crucial. That's why you are witnessing now the tensions in Sudan all of a sudden appear. Of course, China's role in China— in Sudan, I'm sorry, it has to do with infrastructure. Like, like sometimes when you go, you fly to certain countries in Africa, you land on an airport that's been built by China. And that those officials from the US— that's been some officials, and I talked about this 4 months, 6 months ago. I remember there's one video for that where I said— when I said, uh, be on a lookout for some, you know, officials go there the kind of, uh, drive on highways built by China. So that is where, uh, the reason why that the tensions in Sudan. But yeah, the Caspian Sea is gonna play a major role into what's going on into all this. Uh, Ariel from Buenos Aires, good to see you as always. Ariel is another one that's been with us for, uh, quite a while. So I thank you all really I appreciate you. It's because without you guys, there will be no community. And this is why I'll say it straightforward. I don't shy away from— it really upsets me when I read those stupid comments, you know, why are you making a promotional video for, you know, to me, I'll say to them, you know, put your money where your mouth is. If you are able to support this channel, then put $10,000 on the table. To me, uh, you know, if It's action, not just words. And they don't understand that it's a business decision, has nothing to do with them. But anyway, like I said earlier, negative energy, we leave it out. So anyway, guys, I hope you find this very informative. Leave me some comments as far as the next topic, if you want me to delve deeper into Russia and Iran building a railroad to sort of challenge the Suez Canal. Or if you have any other topic in mind, just leave me a comment and I'll be happy to cover it. So it will be another probably, uh, uh, 2 weeks or so before I head back home. Uh, I'm, I'm in Africa, as you may know. I'll detail all this when I get back home. And as always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.