Laos, OBOR and Media Bias

https://journal-neo.org/2020/01/06/laos-wests-war-on-asian-development/

There's little doubt that Beijing has shifted gears and utilising projects like OBOR, it seeks to undermine Western (and particularly American) power in Eurasia. It's imperialism to be sure but in many ways it's a mimicking of the Western model of control through debt, trade and economic influence. The soft-cultural influence is sure to follow and eventually will entail a military presence, the forts and outposts established to protect its interests. It's a well known and established pattern.

Whether it's a deliberate policy meant to construct an empire or something akin to empire-creep, is up for debate.

Before Xi Jinping, China's rise was limited to regional interests but due to various factors (Xi's own personality being one) there has been a shift. Guided both by its own ambitions and out of perceived threat, China is determined to break America's grip on the Afro-Eurasian 'World Island' and perhaps replace it.

The irony is that the Financial Times dares to make this accusation of imperialism and exploitation while pretending to stand on the moral high ground. The West has engaged in the very same behaviour and on a massive scale. China hasn't even entered into its inevitable capitalist phase of warfare and proxy conflict. That too will come but at this point in time the international crimes of Beijing are miniscule when compared to the West which has centuries of this behaviour under its belt. Countries were exploited and conquests were made... China itself was broken for more than century, all but conquered by the West. This domination was broken in 1949 but in the aftermath of Mao's death, the US sought to reconstitute its control over China, hoping eventually to install a proxy regime. But this project was turned on its head in the early 2000's and completely derailed with the rise of Xi in 2012.

The New Eastern Outlook is correct in some of its 'decoding', identifying the Financial Times appeal to 'independent media' and 'civil society groups' as euphemisms for Western influence and in other cases front organisations.

Given the West's (and in particular America's) track record in Laos it's hardly surprising that Vientiane would turn to Beijing for aid. I cannot share the New Eastern Outlook's optimism with regard to development and what it means for Laos. There are certainly many strings attached and a great deal of harm will be done. But the truth is, if Beijing wasn't in there it would be banks and contractors out of places like Paris, London and certainly Washington. Then the Financial Times would be lavishing praise and Western media would look the other way while local lives and economies were destroyed and the nation was subjugated.

I found the New Eastern Outlook's general posture to be accurate and an apt summary of the situation. One brief statement regarding the Western critique of China's OBOR aspirations with regard to Laos stuck out:

Thus, Western “humanitarian” and “environmental” concerns are merely hiding a genuine desire to eliminate competition and maintain regional hegemony.

That's really what this is all about. Laos is a small country caught in the middle of a Bestial struggle. China is the devil they know. America is the devil that all but destroyed their country fifty years ago.

Is New Eastern Outlook a reliable news source? Is it an outlet for Russian propaganda?

It is certainly biased and often friendly (or could be perceived as such) to Moscow's position regarding certain issues.  It should not be relied upon as a sole news source. If its stories are slanted they're not any more slanted than what I read in 'respectable' mainstream Western sources. People have their assumptions, biases, intellectual and emotional commitments. Trust no one completely. Look into things, do your own research and investigation. If the truth ends up (sometimes) lining up with Moscow's point of view, then so be it. If we're Christians we're not 'for' any of these sides or causes. We're not for Moscow or Washington. Both represent different evils and different spiritual threats. We're interested in the truth, in understanding the world and what is happening, how we can pray and direct our time and energy. We want discernment because the Western Church is filled with hirelings, infiltrators and salesman who would manipulate us and take our money and time and devote it to their purposes and the causes that amplify their power, the power of their friends and those behind them.

Is the viewpoint of this article just pure fiction, a case of fake news? I don't think that argument can be made. Does it violate certain assumptions commonly held by those plugged into the Western system? Of course, but that should hardly concern us. In fact those assumptions need to be questioned and challenged and in that regard an article such as this is a breath of fresh air.

Is China persecuting the Church? Yes. But does that mean I have to hate China and everything its government does? Certainly not. Nor does it mean I have an imperative to love the West and seek to strengthen its hand in all things. That would be not only foolish but immoral. Contrary to the governing assumptions of our day, the West is not the Kingdom of God.

Nor do I want (in response to Beijing's actions against the Church) the West to aggravate the situation and utilise militarism to break their power and cast them down. The powers that be are ordained by God and God will break the Chinese government in time... but that does not mean those who break it will do so for righteous reasons. And while the Church is called to submit to the powers that be, the Church should never openly ally with Babylon and Assyria and join with them in fighting their wars. And make no mistake, America is another Babylon, not a Zion as many would have it.

The point in these exercises is to understand the situation. OBOR is logical and while immoral in one sense it is no more immoral than the Western models of the 19^th century and the American dominated system which arose in 1945.

If these models offend you (as indeed they should) then divest yourself from them... as painful as that might be.

See also:

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2017/02/npr-and-establishment-line-fetid.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-laos-rapprochement-and-conscience.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2018/02/obor-in-laos-and-thailand.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-chemical-and-radioactive-legacy-of.html

https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/03/asian-alliances-and-cold-wars-past-and.html