Times of Israel: Negotiations between Iran and China over the creation of a 25-year strategic accord appear to have concluded, with The New York Times on Sunday publishing excerpts from an 18-page agreement labeled “final version” that could see Beijing invest $400 billion over the next 25 years in exchange for discount oil.
The document — which The Times said was dated June 2020 and has yet to be approved by the Majles, Iran’s parliament — detailed how Beijing would receive Iranian oil at a sharply reduced price for the next quarter century in exchange for expanding its economic involvement in a variety of fields, including banking and infrastructure, such as telecommunications and transport.
This would potentially include giving the Iranians access to China’s global positioning system and helping roll out an Iranian 5G network. Read More …
Opinion: It is interesting to note that China and Iran are both on the east side of the Euphrates River.
“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” Revelation 16:12-16
While the Kings of the East will march to Israel, they will not include Iran, since Ezekiel 39:2-4 tells us that the Gog Magog nations will be wiped out before the final war. China and the Far East nations will cross a dried-up Euphrates River (Rev. 16:12).
China, however, has been building up the Iranians financially, providing Chinese workers in Iran for the “One Belt and One Road” (OBOR) Initiative.
OBOR is Beijing’s foreign policy play disguised as infrastructure investment. Here’s how it works: China and country X agree to do an infrastructure project in country X. Country X has to borrow from a Chinese bank to finance the project.
A contract is always awarded to Chinese companies, which then bring supplies and Chinese employees to country X to build the project. Clearly, the country that benefits most from this initiative is China.
The OBOR provides new markets and consistent demand for China’s goods and services, creates employment opportunities for Chinese workers, and gives China access to strategically important locations and natural resources (source).
China not only gets cheap Iranian oil but pokes a finger in the eye of the US and Israel at the same time.
Where might this network of roads and shipping routes be heading? Could China be in the process of building the road to Armageddon?
Excerpts Guest Post, VS June 14, 2018: The Next Great Game: The Clash over Central Asia
