Nicaragua Canal

[ORAC]

Wasn't sure if this should go here, but it has major geopolitical and military implications.

Nicaragua gives Chinese firm contract to build alternative to Panama Canal (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/nicaragua-china-panama-canal)

[Pontius Navigator]

Something wrong with that report. The canal cannot be 20m wide. That is narrower than the Manchester Ship Canal. A Grand Class cruise ship has a beam of 36m.

200m wide would be more believable although the locks would certainly be narrower.

[ORAC]

New 'Panama Canal' project sparking war between Colombia and Nicaragua (http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2013/01/new-panama-canal-project-sparking-war-between-colombia-and-nicaragua/)

Nicaragua, the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has just inked a deal with a Chinese company for a $30 billion canal. The proposed waterway will connect the Atlantic with the Pacific, and Nicaragua hopes to reap an economic windfall with its construction. However – many think this project will be far too big for Nicaragua can chew, and neighboring South American nation Colombia has began to fill the nearby water with warships in protest.

The United Nation’s International Court of Justice in the Hague in early December redrew the maritime map between Colombia and Nicaragua, doubling Nicaragua’s exclusive economic zone in the Caribbean Sea by 38,600 square miles.

Neighboring nation Colombia has vehemently rejected the ruling. Colombian warships now sail defiantly through Nicaragua’s newly acquired maritime territory. The planned waterway has already added more tension in South America.

[HAS59]

Maybe with two canals one could be used for west-bound traffic the other for east-bound. It would offer redundancy if one became blocked. The rise of Chinese power and influence world wide is inevitable. We'd all better learn how to get used to it.

[pohm1]

Are Columbian's are thinking "far canal?"

P1:ok:

[albatross]

There is a great book on the building of the Panama Canal called Path between the Seas. Worth the reading.
Nicaragua was a path that was looked at then.

The Path Between the Seas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Path_Between_the_Seas)

[teeteringhead]

And to get even further from thread subject, one of my favourite palindromes is:

"A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!"

[Lonewolf_50]

Are Columbian's are thinking "far canal?"

Not quite sure what that was aimed at.

Can you explain the joke? (Feeling dim here ... :suspect: )

[pohm1]

Far canal.....sounds like......never mind!

P1

[Union Jack]

And to get even further from thread subject, one of my favourite palindromes is:

"A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!"

Or even, as they would say in the Bristol area(l):

"A man, a plan, a canal: Panamal!"

Jack

PS I am adding an explanatory link for the benefit of Lone Wolf, if needed: Why in your aerial? | Bristol Wireless ? community IT services, help & training in your aerial. Registered with the FSA. Reg. no.: 29638R (http://www.bristolwireless.net/why-in-your-aerial/) :)

[BEagle]

Quote:
Are Columbian's are thinking "far canal?"

Not quite sure what that was aimed at.

Can you explain the joke? (Feeling dim here ... )

How did they ever get to the Moon....:\

[Heathrow Harry]

Just politicians grandstanding - unknown route, unknown company

40Bn to build (estimated by who??) but only 5Bn to widen Panama............

Total and utter nonsense

[brickhistory]

How did they ever get to the Moon....http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wibble.gif


Because A. our Germans were better and B. we didn't and don't spend much time or effort in trying to decipher obscure regional dialects from small nations.

Let me know when you get there, by the way.

As to the topic, doesn't a Chinese company already have the contract to operate the existing canal?

One raises an eyebrow at the massive global encroachment by the PRC. They are on their way...

[500N]

"One raises an eyebrow at the massive global encroachment by the PRC. They are on their way..."

IMHO, the West has been caught napping over the last 10 years.

And all the money we have paid them for goods has been used
to achieve this.

[Rosevidney1]

Hoist by our own petards indeed. :sad:

[Pontius Navigator]

And all the money we have paid them for goods has been used to achieve this.

IMHO they make far better commercial goods that we in the UK do and perhaps in the US too.

British industry produces a superb product that will last for years and years. Eventually the market becomes saturated and sales drop. The company goes bankrupt.

Chinese industry produces cheap product that lasts one season. At the end of the season product either goes to landfill or is returned to China, at a price, to be recycled.

Consumer prefers cheap Chinese good as it requires no maintenance, does not need out of season storage, and can be replaced with newest colour/style/design next season.

That said, our textilene garden furniture has lasted well and its colour may come back in to fashion :)

[Basil]

Glance at map suggests a lot of digging required unless they restrict themselves to shallow draught vessels.

[500N]

PN

I agree.

I have found the quality you from China get is solely determined by the price
- they even quote me in "failures per 1000" and a price.

[Heathrow Harry]

You know I remember when people used to say the same thing about Japanese, cars, and cameras, and electronics....

they will learn and they will learn fast

And why do we complain? I can't think of a single world wide Chinese brand whereas - IBM, CocaCola, Ford Motors, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Prada, IKEA are all western brands which are found all over China and the developing world -

maybe what was sauce for the goose................

[Union Jack]

I can't think of a single world wide Chinese brand

"Huawei" the lads perhaps?:)

Jack

[500N]

And the car brands, Great Wall, .........

[racedo]

Lenovo and get us a beer.