The ‘Spirit of the New Silk Road’ Is Defining Reality

Two developments this week make the point that reality in today’s world is the “spirit of the New Silk Road.” All else—the geopolitical and economic confrontations—are doomed and dangerous. Our task is to organize for this truth to succeed.

Firstly, on April 4, the extraordinary session of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will convene on the case of the Skripal poisoning in England, amidst growing international agreement, that London has tried to bum-rush national leaders to submit to British domination, with the anti-Russia hysteria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called it out explicitly at a Moscow press conference, saying, “Leaders of a whole number of countries are asking questions…it’s only too obvious that our British colleagues have lost their sense of reality.” He elaborated on motive, that “Britain’s special services… are known for the license to kill;” and otherwise, that the Theresa May government was in trouble over not delivering on Brexit.

Russia’s representative to the OPCW, Alexander Shulgin, said yesterday, that on April 4, “we plan to come out with one more initiative at the extraordinary session.” He would not discuss it further, but it will follow the 14 questions on the Skripal affair put to Britain by Russia over the weekend.

Meantime, the London crowd is furious that President Trump, himself, has not fallen into line against Russia, as Britain demands. This was expressed by The Economist of London in a March 30 article, complaining that Trump’s Twitter account “was silent as 60 Russians were ordered out of this country. Indeed, Mr. Trump has never breathed a word of criticism of Mr. Putin.” They write that Trump “continued his near total-silence about Russia” even when he gave “a rambling and wide-ranging speech in Ohio” last week. No wonder the British are upset; it now comes out that Pres. Trump had even raised Washington, D.C., as a possible meeting place, in his phone call with Pres. Putin on March 20.

Second, this week marks a new, low point in the worsening trade confrontation, promoted by the geopoliticians between the U.S. and China; as well as promoted in the form of sanctions against Russia. Today China activated its imposition of tariffs on 128 U.S.-produced imports, to the tune of $3 billion, in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs last month, on imports of that value, of Chinese steel and aluminum.

China’s Commerce Ministry released a statement today stressing that, the United States has refused to talk. After the U.S. made its March 23 announcement of tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, China on March 26 called for trade talks. Despite U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying at the time, that there could be talks, nothing at all happened—which is pointed out in today’s China Ministry statement. Now, the U.S. has more anti-China tariffs—$50+ billion—under consideration.

Instead of this confrontation, China reiterates in its statement, talks must take place. This is in line with what President Trump, himself, expressed, during his election and early months of office, when he committed to end the destruction of the U.S. economy wrought by decades of bad trade deals. These came about directly as a result of the Wall Street/City of London practices during the GATT/NAFTA/WTO years, hurting all nations involved.

Now the opportunity is at hand, and urgent, to break with this destruction, by going with the reality of the ‘spirit of the New Silk Road.’