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There are many of these organizations in the world. Although the AIIB has a larger initiative, it still doesn't mean Japan's exclusion means it is isolated. It is after all the second largest shareholder or voting power of most major international institutions. Furthermore, the Silk Road project does not really involve or reach Japan anyways.
Probbaly we would see far more competing interests; instead of the world bank as the supreme overlord of international lending to developing nations, the World Bank and the AIIB will jostle with one another for influence.
Re: "travric, everything you say is true, but what can we do about it? Nothing. The change has to come from inside China itself. Moralising and waving fingers won't do it, as there's not a global force who could put enough pressure on her. So why not close our eyes and try to make some money?"
Of course there are economic interests which are valid but in the instance of the relationship between the U.S. , Europe, Hong Kong , Japan and China things have heated up because of Chinese behavior pushing their interests.
China and Japan are quarreling in the South China Sea over territory. Hong Kong now has a new China relationship after the British which impacts democracy there. And Europe is selling weaponry to China. And the US naval fleet in the Pacific now has a bit work to do. It just may have to keep the peace between China and Japan if they can't resolve their differences.
Note that the U.S. is committed to Japan in case of aggression by China. Europe knows that but yet they have entered an economic relationship with China that poses future political and military questions about their accommodations to them. It will be interesting to see what happens with the AIIB and the ramifications of the linkup.
Probbaly we would see far more competing interests; instead of the world bank as the supreme overlord of international lending to developing nations, the World Bank and the AIIB will jostle with one another for influence.
this is good. I think the world, including Europe is sick of the US bossing everyone around while itself carrying double standard. The whole point is to compete with the US dominated world order.
Aside from countries in Asia and Europe, only 6 countries have joined so far:
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, transcontinental Indonesia
Africa: Egypt, Malta
Americas: Brazil
Yea, pretty much every major economic power except for US, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. Strangely enough, these are probably the countries with the strongest trade relations with the US.
Aside from countries in Asia and Europe, only 6 countries have joined so far:
Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, transcontinental Indonesia
Africa: Egypt, Malta
Americas: Brazil
The entire Africa has a GDP smaller than France. I think they need investment in themselves, and don't have a lot of resources to invest in Asia, right? China current makes massive investments in Africa, I think there is nothing to worry about.
Americas - as America's backyard (Canada being the front yard I guess), they probably don't want to upset the US, plus, most of S America are stagnant, or poor or have big problems and are not in a position to make investment elsewhere anyway. Argentina? Columbia? Ask them to lend money, LOL. I am not surprised Brazil joined because they have always been upset by the American hegemony. In additionally, Brazil as one country represents 50% of south America. Really not bad. Who cares about Surinam or Paraguay anyway.
this is good. I think the world, including Europe is sick of the US bossing everyone around while itself carrying double standard. The whole point is to compete with the US dominated world order.
I don't think the EU is trying to steer away from the US. The US is still very important to the EU in that:
1. The US remains as EU's largest trading partner and by a larger margin, the largest customer (export destination) of EU products.
2. The US is very important to the security of the EU. Since WWII, Western Europe was basically free of war after the US maintains strong military presence in major European countries such as Germany, Italy, the UK, and Spain. Economic cooperations are really casual, especially in the 21st century. In contrast, military relations are the most prominent signs of intimate relationships between countries. Outside of the EU and the US, which EU countries will trust or allow to have sizeable number of troops station in Europe? Without the US, Europe will easily fall into [you know who]'s sphere of influence.
In short, I think AIIB is important especially since the global economy is getting bigger, and the developed world (EU, US, Japan, Canada, Australia, etc.) represent only a fraction of the global population. Thus, more institutions are needed to assist the economic growth of the developing world and they also offer economic opportunities to the contractors or companies of the developed countries. I think you are taking the purpose of the AIIB too much of a political stance, in that countries join because they want to steer away from the US or don't join because they don't want to upset the US.
Yea, pretty much every major economic power except for US, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. Strangely enough, these are probably the countries with the strongest trade relations with the US.
Of the 60 largest economies, 40 have joined/applied and 20 have not.
26 countries are Prospective Founding Members: China, Germany, United Kingdom, France, India, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Austria, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Vietnam
14 countries have applied pending confirmation: Brazil, Russia, Australia, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Taiwan, Norway, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, Hong Kong, Finland, Portugal
20 have not applied: United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, South Africa, Chile, Ireland, Greece, Iraq, Algeria, Venezuela, Peru, Romania, Czech Republic, Angola, Ukraine
2. The US is very important to the security of the EU. Since WWII, Western Europe was basically free of war after the US maintains strong military presence in major European countries such as Germany, Italy, the UK, and Spain. Economic cooperations are really casual, especially in the 21st century. In contrast, military relations are the most prominent signs of intimate relationships between countries. Outside of the EU and the US, which EU countries will trust or allow to have sizeable number of troops station in Europe? Without the US, Europe will easily fall into [you know who]'s sphere of influence.
Not this crap again. Jeez. I won't even bother. It's not true.
I'm simply saying that the military presence of the US in Europe is currently
2nd Cavalry Brigade (Germany)
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team (Italy)
12th Combat Aviation Brigade (Germany)
10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command (Germany)
Including a few paper-pushers, some 30,000 combat personnel. A drop in the water.
Re:" I think the world, including Europe is sick of the US bossing everyone around while itself carrying double standard. The whole point is to compete with the US dominated world order"
US dominated world order? I would agree that the US indeed does influence 'world order' to a great degree. On the other hand current events do show others have no compunction of not following the 'line'. They do have a sense of identity apart from the view of being a US vassal.
Competition is great. But in the end I'd suggest 'cooperation' is more important on the great questions of the day. And at the last it is a given that the US indeed has Europe's back from the game-playing of countries veered to the authoritarian and repressive aspects of governing. For it is there in that aspect that Europe and the U.S. has much to think about.
The current US economic policies suck donkey dung through a straw.
I don't know why any fiscally responsible nation would want to hitch their horse to our cart - which is really a hand basket traveling rapidly downhill.
Just my .02 cents - you can keep the change.
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