Xi Jinping, president for life, is certainly in the lineup with Hitler, Stalin,Tojo and Mao.

For the "the 'visionary' Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)", we need to substitute 'aggressive' and 'warlike'. It certainly has no place in the Western world, nor in the Third World, unless they are happy to be in permanent thrall to China. The BRI's advantages for China are spelled out very well by the author. It's a pity about the frustration China is facing from "democratic governments that must take into account broad community sentiments …"!

We all know what China is "due", and it sure as Hell is not tribute.

Now this is definitely a fascinating topic.

When I think of the BRI I see this image of China as a giant red and gold octopus with its tentacles stretching across every part of the world.

It is all-devouring and nothing can escape its grasp.

And then suddenly I see Foul-Mouth and Foxy aka the Beijing Butterfly screaming abuse at me as they play the race card shouting me down that the Chinese have just as much right to control the world as did a Hitler or a Stalin.

"Damn!" I say "I keep forgetting China has friends everywhere."

If we are to talk about tributes, a general who refused to send in troops against the protesters in Tian An men Square in June 1989 has died:

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

I suppose he was lucky that he wasn't run over by a tank, like so many protesters. Or forced into lifelong manual labour, as so many Uighurs are now forced to do under the imperialist Chinese, and probably Tibetans as well.

Somebody mentioned Taiwan: The Manchus took it over in 1684:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Taiwanese_history#3rd_century

The Japanese invaded in 1895 and it did not become 'Chinese' until after World War II.

So, strictly speaking, Taiwan was 'Chinese' for barely four years in all of its history.

Tibet, of course, was more or less independent (while paying tribute to the Manchus) until 1959.

Sinjiang was independent of China until after WW II. The Russians controlled it until 1945 and declared a 'people's republic' there.

Inner Mongolia was of course part of Mongolia and did not come under Chinese rule until after the 1911 revolution.

So the Chinese Empire continues, with a Han core (and non-Han Chinese mainly in the south and south-west) and a larger area of non-Chinese dependencies.

Joe

Foul-Mouth,

You are extremely well-read but you just regurgitate what you read verbatim void of critical thought and comparative analysis.

I think you would have loved to have been an academic lecturing in the Arts things like history, sociology, anthropology, archaeology, philosophy, etc. but unfortunately you didn't make the grade and even worse you got a job with the Australian branch of Beijing Boyz & Associates.

If it's due? Why not?
Alan B.

Well, this is not what I would call being in the spirit of the BRI:

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/china-slams-australian-government-for-politicising-trade-over-decision-to-block-probuild-sale-to-chinese-company/ar-BB1cHwtV

Foul-Mouth and Foxy aka the Beijing Butterfly are going to be really pissed off when they see this.