.
Madagascar's military did a (kind of) coup d`état - a very interesting event in light of South Korea's strategic interest in Madagascar.
The new government might cancel the (apparently not yet signed) trade with South Korea that is (was?) likely very relevant for South Korea's long-term resource security strategy.
This might teach South Korea, the PRC and possibly other powers as well a lesson or two about such deals.
Possible conclusions range from the need to diversify the raw materials resources to the need to have greater power to intervene in order to safeguard the access to resources.
We shouldn't think of resource wars as wars only or as inevitable - I have a feeling in my stomach that we should be able to identify the wrong roads at the crossroads we're at - and choose wisely.
This is no topic for the evening news, but diplomats' and strategists' everyday job that possibly shapes the 21st century.
Sven Ortmann
P.S.: This is a good opportunity to clarify that the deal was apparently still in the early stages of negotiation when the outrage began and when I wrote the blog post about it. In hindsight, I think my earlier post was too ambiguous about that because I was more interested in the strategic aspects than the trade itself.
edit: 2008-03-20:
Financial Times article: The plan was already canceled by the new government.
.
Madagascar's military did a (kind of) coup d`état - a very interesting event in light of South Korea's strategic interest in Madagascar.
The new government might cancel the (apparently not yet signed) trade with South Korea that is (was?) likely very relevant for South Korea's long-term resource security strategy.
This might teach South Korea, the PRC and possibly other powers as well a lesson or two about such deals.
Possible conclusions range from the need to diversify the raw materials resources to the need to have greater power to intervene in order to safeguard the access to resources.
We shouldn't think of resource wars as wars only or as inevitable - I have a feeling in my stomach that we should be able to identify the wrong roads at the crossroads we're at - and choose wisely.
This is no topic for the evening news, but diplomats' and strategists' everyday job that possibly shapes the 21st century.
Sven Ortmann
P.S.: This is a good opportunity to clarify that the deal was apparently still in the early stages of negotiation when the outrage began and when I wrote the blog post about it. In hindsight, I think my earlier post was too ambiguous about that because I was more interested in the strategic aspects than the trade itself.
edit: 2008-03-20:
Financial Times article: The plan was already canceled by the new government.
.
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