Arsenal of Democracy

42: Xi Jinping Is Preparing Belt and Road for Phase Two: Militarization (feat. Michael Sobolik)

Episode Summary

What if the aggressive schoolyard bully tactics that the Chinese Communist Party uses in the South China Sea were deployed globally? This week's guest, Michael Sobolik, argues that this question will soon be answered and illustrates how the CCP's Belt and Road Initiative, once considered a purely economic plan, could really have a "second phase" that places military demands and action on the balance sheet. As a result, we attempt to address how the American Arsenal of Democracy can counter a global Chinese economic alternative that is primed to be militarized on a global scale.

Episode Notes

What if the aggressive schoolyard bully tactics that the Chinese Communist Party uses in the South China Sea were deployed globally? This week's guest, Michael Sobolik, argues that this question will soon be answered and illustrates how the CCP's  Belt and Road Initiative, once considered a purely economic plan, could really have a "second phase" that places military demands and action on the balance sheet. As a result, we attempt to address how the American Arsenal of Democracy can counter a global Chinese economic alternative that is primed to be militarized on a global scale.