“That’s a rather large country and sizeable population that is going to go thru some legit turmoil, pretty soon.”
2019 is the year that the turd hits the fan over there.
Their positions and statements will likely be increasingly driven by their domestic politics. They are going to have a lot of explaining to do.
They are already scrambling to save face, from getting hit with tariffs that they can not match. On top of the real economic dislocations from losing business due to tariffs, the risk of currency or stock market collapses will increase - both would place a heavy demand on their foreign reserves. Then there is also the risk of their debt bubble bursting.
They could always sell the South China Sea Islands....
See my #21 as it nearly echoes your observation.
Their debt bubble is gigantor. And when they get to the point, which I think is coming real soon, that they start calling all their markers, they’re going to realize that giving billions to countries in Africa isn’t going to have the returns they might have expected. Even if those returns were access to the minerals and precious metals that they’re trying to hoard. Takes money to dig that stuff out of the ground, they’re running out of it and the Africans are ....Africans. One day there’s some guy running the country and his brother chops off his head an declares himself the King.