Payment scuffles between Russian companies and Chinese banks have escalated in recent weeks, with Chinese firms pulling back amid fear of sanctions.
  • Russia’s yuan reserves are nearly depleted due to Chinese banks’ fear of US sanctions.
  • Lenders have urged Russia’s central bank to address the yuan deficit, causing the ruble to drop.
  • China’s hesitance stems from US threats of secondary sanctions over Russia’s Ukraine war financing.
  • @wanderingwizardEnglish
    3•11 days ago

    working with Thailand to build a canal that would bypass the straight of Malacca all together

    This is a crazy pipe dream by the Thai PM, China has nothing to do with it. It doesn’t make any sense to unload ships in Thailand, move them by train across the peninsula, and then reload them onto ships. They can go via other routes in Indonesia if they don’t want to go through the straight of Malacca for some reason. The Thai PM is just jealous that all the shipping trade (and money) goes to Singapore and Malaysia because it is easier for the boats to stop there.