Part 7/9:
The conversation also touches on the complex web of influence-building by China, often involving financial investment and economic dependencies created through corruption and political favoritism. However, the speaker highlights that China is highly intelligent in its approach, not necessarily as an enemy but as a strategic competitor that is adept at gaining loyalty through development initiatives.
In contrast, Japan’s own Belt and Road-like projects are presented as exemplars of superior quality and reliability. Japan has managed to build infrastructure that outperforms Chinese efforts in many African and Middle Eastern countries, which could eventually lead these nations to prefer Japanese partnerships due to better quality and service.