OBOR

1. Connecting

1.1. London to China

1.2. Eight Asian countries

1.3. Budapest to Belgrade

2. CURRENT PROGRESS

2.1. Power plants

2.1.1. Built desperately needed power plants in Pakistan

2.1.2. Financed a third of the cost of Hinklet Point C nuclear power plant in Southwest England -> increase prestige

2.2. Railway systems

2.2.1. Completed Africa's first transnational electric railway

3. ULTIMATE IMPACT

3.1. PROS

3.2. COS

4. PROJECT MOTIVATION

4.1. Communist Party's need to buy more time in order to come up with its next scheme to prop up the economy -> Keep its promise of nonstop economic growth

4.2. An opportunity to gain even-power status with the US in Asia

4.2.1. When OBOR transportation networks are completed, they'll be used to deliver higher-cost goods to the rest of the world -> Many ventures undertaken by China will pay long-term dividends such as building up its high tech manufacturing sector

4.3. Minimize China's reliance on maritime trade routes that could be cut off in the event of a destabilizing military conflict

5. JJ

6. MAIN FEATURES

7. RISKS

7.1. Bold funding mechanism: use its state run banks to provide financing -> Lending hundreds of billions of dollars to countries with weak credit ratings and unstable political system is very risky

7.2. The Party's rush to feed the insatiable economic growth monster can lead to tragic outcomes

8. REALITIES

8.1. China's recent stock market collapse caused by the same sense of impatience that is driving OBOR

8.2. Half of Chinese domestic megaprojects actually destroyed economic value

8.3. A few of China's previous efforts to build megaprojects in foreign countries - like the A2 motorway in Poland - failed miserably

8.4. China's credit rating was downgraded by a major agency after its overleveraged financial position was analyzed

9. + Boost China's westward connections. + An update of the silk road trade route 1000 years ago -> Sounds more like a PR stunt to analysts