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5
Misc
2025 Sep 18, 12:19am
Ceffer says
... and Default. The Chinese didn't learn from the decades of losses from Europe/America. Nope, they went ahead and loaned Africa billions upon billions. The Africans will gladly pay interest on the loans as long as you simply continue to loan them ever greater amounts of coin.
Belt and Road is now Belt and Expensive Cargo Ship.
... and Default. The Chinese didn't learn from the decades of losses from Europe/America. Nope, they went ahead and loaned Africa billions upon billions. The Africans will gladly pay interest on the loans as long as you simply continue to loan them ever greater amounts of coin.
6
WookieMan
2025 Sep 18, 8:25am
WookieMan
2025 Sep 18, 8:25am
Ceffer says
Ship is way cheaper actually. Just longer and you have to time the supply chain properly in case there's a major world event. 24k containers on one ship. https://safety4sea.com/watch-worlds-biggest-containership-sails-through-suez-canal/#:~:text=Evergreen's%2024%2C000%20TEU%20containership%20Ever,can%20carry%20over%2024%2C000%20containers.
Let's say you can do 200 rail cars with a single train. That would be 120 or 60 if you double stack trains to ship the same amount of containers. Probably 6 crew per train for sleep, so 360 or 720 crew. I don't count dock workers because trains have to unload the same. These are approximations before anyone loses their shit.
A boat can get away with about 15-30 crew members to ship versus 360 minimum for trains over that distance and move the same containers. China is just really in a shit spot in the world for transportation. Ships are more fuel efficient as well, just slow. Suez and port fees are expensive though.
Belt and Road is now Belt and Expensive Cargo Ship.
Ship is way cheaper actually. Just longer and you have to time the supply chain properly in case there's a major world event. 24k containers on one ship. https://safety4sea.com/watch-worlds-biggest-containership-sails-through-suez-canal/#:~:text=Evergreen's%2024%2C000%20TEU%20containership%20Ever,can%20carry%20over%2024%2C000%20containers.
Let's say you can do 200 rail cars with a single train. That would be 120 or 60 if you double stack trains to ship the same amount of containers. Probably 6 crew per train for sleep, so 360 or 720 crew. I don't count dock workers because trains have to unload the same. These are approximations before anyone loses their shit.
A boat can get away with about 15-30 crew members to ship versus 360 minimum for trains over that distance and move the same containers. China is just really in a shit spot in the world for transportation. Ships are more fuel efficient as well, just slow. Suez and port fees are expensive though.
7
MolotovCocktail
2025 Sep 18, 9:01am
MolotovCocktail
2025 Sep 18, 9:01am
WookieMan says
Until the Straits of Mullacca get shut off, yes. Definitely cheaper and more versatility to boot, too. It's a damn shame US rivers and canals aren't used because of the Jones Act.
But some ships are just too damn big to go thru Suez, as well.
Ship is way cheaper actually. Just longer and you have to time the supply chain properly in case there's a major world event
Until the Straits of Mullacca get shut off, yes. Definitely cheaper and more versatility to boot, too. It's a damn shame US rivers and canals aren't used because of the Jones Act.
But some ships are just too damn big to go thru Suez, as well.
Seemed like right out of the playbook of Nordstream 2.
Now the chess moves have happened to reveal all:
Also, THIS is why China can not become a 'superpower' - shitty to non-existent power projection to protect its commerce lanes worldwide.