Trump’s new masterplan to corner China, America will invest in projects worth millions of dollars

New Delhi:America once again seems to be intensifying its strategy to challenge China’s growing influence across the world. The Trump administration is preparing to invest heavily in many international projects whose aim is to limit China’s economic and strategic expansion. It is being told that the schemes which were stopped last year due to budget and staff cuts, will now be started again.

According to media reports, the US administration has recently informed Congress that it is working on a plan to replace old undersea telecommunication cables in the Caribbean and Central American countries at a cost of US $ 175.8 million. The purpose of modernizing these undersea cables is to strengthen communications systems in the region and limit China’s potential technological influence. America believes that if this infrastructure is not upgraded in time, then China can further strengthen its strategic presence in the region.

America’s concern about China’s activities

Washington has long expressed concern about China’s growing economic and strategic presence in the Western Hemisphere. In particular, America considers the participation of Chinese companies in the ports located at both ends of the Panama Canal, the ongoing projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China’s increasing investment in the telecommunications sector as a serious challenge to its security. Experts believe that through these projects, China is trying to increase not only economic but also strategic influence, balancing which is one of America’s priorities.

What did the American official say?

A senior US State Department official, on condition of anonymity, said that China’s economic projects appear cheap and attractive at first glance, but later their actual cost increases. He claimed that many projects have high maintenance costs and their performance is also not as per expectations. According to the official, such situations can pose a risk to the security and economic interests of America and its allied countries.

Undersea cable project is part of the strategic plan

According to sources, this plan to replace the telecommunication cables laid under the sea is not limited to any one project. This is part of a broader US strategy designed to reduce China’s influence. In the coming time, hundreds of millions of dollars can be spent on many other similar projects, due to which America wants to strengthen technical and strategic relations with its allied countries.

Talks of cooperation, but strategies are different

Interestingly, this entire incident has come to light at a time when US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are talking about cooperation and better relations in public forums. There is also talk of Xi Jinping visiting America in winter this year. Despite this, America is rapidly advancing its economic and strategic plans to balance China’s growing influence at the global level.