Work has begun on a shipping canal across Nicaragua, by a Chinese billionaire, with a total estimated development cost of $50 Billion. Additionally, the agreement allows the developer to build roads, two ports, an airport, a free trade zone and a tourism complex, and to immigrate large numbers of Chinese workers to Nicaragua (the second poorest country in Latin America). As no one can figure-out how such a project (that started construction in January 2015) could turn a profit for the billionaire; there is widespread speculation (see linked article and extracts) that the Communist Chinese government is using the billionaire as a front in order to gain geopolitical gains throughout Latin America, to thwart US interests, and to better secure their supply lines in the coming era of increasing geopolitical conflicts.
This all implies that China can meet their GHG emission goals by pushing emissions overseas to still poorer developing countries (in Latin America, Africa and South/Southeast Asia) while ensuring their own wealth and security using strongman tactics (such as buying local patronage by building discounted infrastructure in order to continue resource exploitation in some of the poorest countries in the world). With over 1 billion people worldwide living off of incomes of USD $1.25 per day, or less; China's strategy to express the moral imperative of developing the economies for such people, while paying for such developments by largely unregulated resource development, should allow China to water-down any COP21 plan in Paris to allow them to continue on a BAU pathway for developing countries, for decades to come.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102451065#.Extract: "The development plans include the building of roads, two ports—one in the Pacific and another one in the Caribbean—an airport, a free trade zone and a tourism complex with hotels. HKND has approval to build some of the other elements even if it doesn't build the canal itself.
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Naturally, the lack of an apparent financial feasibility has raised questions about whether the Nicaragua Grand Canal is a commercial project for HKND—or a geopolitical project for the Chinese government.
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If Beijing is the project's real sponsor, then its essentially limitless pockets would mean big problems for Panama.
"If there are geopolitical interests behind the building of the canal, and the investment returns do not matter, and nothing has to be repaid, then the Panama Canal would be severely affected. There is not enough demand for two canals," Sabonge said."
Edit: The following linked article (see extract) elaborates on why the Communist Chinese government may well be working in the background (as opposed to up-front as they are doing in Africa):
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/26/us-nicaragua-canal-idUSKBN0K410620141226Extract: "For now, China's government can stay aloof and claim no part in the project in case it founders, experts say.
"If the Chinese government is behind this project, it has to be responsible for everything," said an official from Taiwan's embassy in Nicaragua, speaking on condition of anonymity. "If it fails, that's a bad image. They have to maintain their distance."
China's involvement would be a direct challenge to the United States, which controlled the Panama Canal until 1999."