BEIJING will underwrite the construction of a US$4 billion railway linking Thailand and China, Thai Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said in a report yesterday.

'The Chinese leader has used the phrase that Chinese and Thai people are from one single family ... and this visit in their eyes is just like a family visit to a relative.'

'We're ready to cooperate with Thailand and Myanmar to jointly work against the drug crimes in this region,' Ms Zhang said, adding that China did not have a serious drug problem and swiftly dealt with traffickers by invoking the death penalty

http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,2276,8516,00.html?

Hmmm... sorta like US helping police the central americas i guess..
Wonder what India thinks of China further encroaching near them..

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

Answers

Response to POL China backrolls US$b rail link with Thailand

Gotta wonder what the "full" reason/intent is for China to build a railroad line down into Thailand? What we can surmise is that the military dictators in China have a darn good reason for spending the money to create that linkup, which can haul heavy equipment, troops, whatever the situation calls for.

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

Response to POL China backrolls US$b rail link with Thailand

Don't know if it's still the case, but US troops were stationed for years in Thailand. The US & Thai military were very close, with many Thai's serving in the US military. My Dad spent several years with the Army based there. When I was in the 101st Airborne, we had several enlisted Thai's serving with us. One fellow, who we called Pow-wow, sense none of us could pronounce his real name, told us when he left the US service with the rank of Sargent, he would be automatically taken into the Thai military at the rank of Captain...

Sounds like China doing some of their own preps...

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

Response to POL China backrolls US$b rail link with Thailand

Interesting that it was the Thai "Defense" minister..announcing ..
Guess this could give China a rail link to the Indian Ocean.. May be useful if the Straits were blockaded??

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001