Weekly News Roundup: Dispatches from the Silk Road Economic Belt

China invests over 50 billion dollars in new Silk Road states in just three years 

Beijing has invested more than $50 billion in the countries of the Silk Road Economic Belt within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" policy over the past three years, He Lifeng, the chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said Monday. (Sputnik)

Chinese Netizens Attack Minority Uyghur Muslims

Within hours of the February 14 knife attack in Pishan county, Xinjiang, China’s state media released identical reports: Three assailants attacked people in a residential district, killing five while injuring another five, and the assailants were killed by police officers who had swiftly arrived at the scene. Only the Jiangnan Metropolitan News defied a censorship order and kept open its online comment function on this story, providing a rare glimpse into netizens’ views of the attack. (HRW)

How Trump could find common ground with China, thanks to the Islamic State

Since the election of Donald Trump, the relationship between Washington and Beijing has appeared strained. Despite diplomatic efforts to bridge the gap, China and the United States are at loggerheads over a variety of issues, including trade and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. However, there is one subject close to President Trump's heart that could bring the two powers closer together: the threat of terrorism by Islamist extremists. The Islamic State, a group which the United States is actively combating in Syria and Iraq, released a propaganda video this week that appears to be its first to specifically threaten China. (WaPo)

China stages another huge show of force in Xinjiang in wake of terror attacks

More than 10,000 armed police in China’s western Xinjiang region staged a mass rally in the capital Urumqi, state media said, as authorities rolled out a rapid-response air patrol system to quell unrest that the government blames on Islamist militants. The rally held on Monday, complete with circling helicopters and armoured vehicles, was at least the fourth such mass display in the region this year, intended as a show of force after a recent uptick in violence.

Landscapes of Spirituality: The Topography of Ismaili Sacred Sites in Xinjiang, China

This study is a brief ethnography of sacred sites venerated (mazur tawuf chaig in the local vernacular) by the small Shi’i Ismaili community of Tashkurgan, in Xinjiang in the People’s Republic of China.

This article documents some of the important sacred sites and their relevance today, in an age of economic and social change. Since in Islam the term ‘pilgrimage’ is often associated with the annual hajj to Mecca, the term ‘visit’ is used for the local pilgrimage-like tradition being discussed here to avoid confusion. The study is based on data collected in the Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang in the summer of 2011. (Ismail)

Another Silk Road Fiasco? China's Belgrade To Budapest High-Speed Rail Line Is Probed By Brussels

China may be hitting another snag in the fulfillment of its Belt and Road ambitions. The much-anticipated Belgrade to Budapest high-speed rail line, which was touted as China’s “express lane” to Europe, is being reviewed by Brussels for potential infringements of the European Union’s requirement that public tenders are offered for such large-scale infrastructure projects. (Forbes)

SW China's Chengdu city starts freight trains to Belarus, to reach Minsk in 12 days after 8,800-km trip 

Southwest China's Chengdu city started freight trains to Belarus on Wednesday, the first of the city's planned 150 freight trains to countries such as Belarus, Russia and Lithuania this year.
The train, carrying 41 containers of auto parts, left the provincial capital of Sichuan Wednesday afternoon and will reach Minsk 12 days later after an over 8,800-km trip. Chengdu ran 460 freight trains to cities in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany last year -- more than any other Chinese city. In 2017, the city plans to run 1,000 freight trains to Europe.(Xinhua)

Asia’s infrastructure needs

The Asia Development Bank says the region’s developing countries will need to invest a total of US$22.6 trillion – or US$1.5 trillion a year, most of it in China and India – between now and 2030 for essential transportation, power plants, communication links and other infrastructure. Anthony Rowley writes that this is more than double previous ADB estimates and that largescale public finance reforms – which the bank estimates could generate around 40% of the revenue needed to bridge the infrastructure funding gap – will have to be made if spending targets are to be met. East Asia will account for 61% of infrastructure investment needs to 2030, requiring spending equal to 5.2% of GDP. South Asia’s needs will equal 8.8% of GDP, Central Asia’s 7.8% and Southeast Asia’s 5.7%.(Asia Times)

Turkey and China
Beijing’s grand “One Belt, One Road” plan promises enhanced connectivity between countries of the Eurasian landmass and Turkey is eager to be part of it, writes Altay Atli. The Turkish government has already signed a number of agreements with China, mainly on cooperation in railway infrastructure development and integration of Ankara’s own road projects, and a multi-ministry working group has now been formed to deal specifically with Turkey’s future engagement. An intra-bureaucracy working group specially dealing with Turkey’s engagement with OBOR was established by the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs with inputs from the ministries of transportation, energy, economy and customs. In the meantime, the interest is shared by civil society actors as well, with Turkish academia increasing its focus on China-related studies, and the business community launching a number of OBOR-related networking events. The Turkish-Chinese Business Council is working on a plan to erect a monument on the Turkish portion of the Ancient Silk Road, similar to the monument in Xian.  (Asia Times)

Tibet and Xinjiang have become a draw for China’s wealthy... in search of low taxes
Tibet and Xinjiang have become China’s answer to the British Virgin Islands, as celebrities such as Zhao Wei and Fan Bingbing as well as tycoons scramble to set up companies in areas with preferential tax terms.The practise has come under the spotlight after actress Zhao Wei raised eyebrows with her 3 billion yuan (US$440 million) bid for a Shanghai-listed animation company. The venture involved in the later-abandoned takeover, called Longwei Culture & Media, was based in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. (Scmp)

Can Trump’s America Work With China on a New Silk Road?

Economic and Commercial Minister Counselor Tian Deyou stepped back from the podium, excused himself, and answered his mobile phone, which had interrupted him for the second time.  As unorthodox as it was to stop mid-presentation to a room full of China hands at the Carter Center, the Chinese Embassy official visiting Atlanta from Washington explained it as a sign of the times. “President Trump’s government has made us very busy,” Mr. Tian said to knowing laughter from the audience.  But he added a quick caveat, that Chinese State Counselor Yang Jiechi had recently held a productive meeting at the White House. “Hopefully the relationship will be smoothly continuing. This is good news.” (Global Atlanta)


CENTRAL ASIA 

Taliban backs TAPI, but will Trump?

The $15-billion transnational Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project is set to enter another phase of geopolitical challenges from a new administration in the US and heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. These developments have cast a shadow over the natural gas pipeline project despite its recently overcoming one of its biggest hurdles and securing support from the Taliban. (The Hindu)

What Central Asia Gets (Or Doesn't Get) Out Of Putin's Eurasian Economic Union

Vladimir Putin makes a trip to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on February 27-28. Two of the countries -- Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan -- are members of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), and Tajikistan is currently negotiating entry into the organization. The EEU is bound to be on the agenda when Putin meets with all three Central Asian leaders.The EEU, which besides Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan also includes Armenia and Belarus, has seen mixed results since it was formally launched at the start of 2015. There have been complaints but there have also been some benefits. (Rfe)

Central Asian Countries Erecting New Cities to Cope With Population Explosion
Even though fertility rates have fallen in Central Asia over the last two decades, the earlier rise in the number of births means that the populations of these countries continue to grow far more rapidly than anywhere else in the former Soviet space. Tajikistan is the leader, with its government estimating that the country is increasing by more than 2.2 percent every year (Stat.tj, accessed February 28). Such explosive growth means that the share of young people is far higher than elsewhere. Furthermore, these Central Asian countries are having a hard time providing jobs for all those reaching adulthood. As a result, population pressures on existing urbanized areas are especially great as people flow in from the even more impoverished villages, where birthrates remain higher than in the cities.

Warning Signs on the Road to Elections in Kyrgyzstan

On 26 February, authorities arrested Omurbek Tekebayev, the leader of the opposition party Ata-Meken, on charges of fraud and corruption. That incident sparked peaceful protests in Bishkek, including at the capital’s Ala-Too Square, the site of earlier demonstrations that ultimately led to the ouster of two presidents. The past week’s demonstrations were modest, however protests in Kyrgyzstan have previously started small and then snowballed. President Almazbek Atambayev’s government – and especially the judiciary – should ensure that its actions ahead of the November ballot are above reproach in order not to aggravate the already tense situation. Kyrgyzstan’s constitution limits the president to a single term in office, preventing Atambayev from running for re-election. All eyes are now on how the government and opposition conduct themselves. (Crisis Group)

Kazakhstan Investigates Alleged Illegal Sale of Aircraft to Syria - Prosecutor

Kazakhstan's Transport Prosecutor's office revealed serious violations of the law by country's Civil Aviation Committee (CAC), linked to possible illegal sale of aircraft to Syria, prosecutor's press service said Monday in a statement. (Sputnik)