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The Great Game Changer: Belt and Road Intiative (BRI; OBOR)

Well said but people are saying that China will get isolated if we decide to help NK :rofl:

Why is that? you have a treaty with DPRK. It's your obligation to defend DPRK if ROK, Japan, and US decide to march their army to destroy Kim dynasty. Plus, you don't sell anything to them. It's not violating UN's blockade to DPRK. You just send a small element of your army there; just like what US did in ROK, Japan, and Taiwan.

This can give ROK 2 options. Either they want to see your armies in DPRK or they reject US's THAAD.
 
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Why is that? you have a treaty with DPRK. It's your obligation to defend DPRK if ROK, Japan, and US decide to march their army to destroy Kim dynasty. Plus, you don't sell anything to them. You just send a small element of your army there; just like what US did in ROK, Japan, and Taiwan.

I think China should start to learn how to sign defense treaty with other nations in Middle east and South America, so we can invoke defense treaty to sell army to these countries.. :lol:
 
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There is reason why China has not done what I said because they have better idea and in better position than me to deal with THAAD, If China just do what I said, you think I'm still sitting in front of my PC?
So essentially, you are saying that you do not know what you are talking about. LMAO :lol:

Cubar is too far out for Beijing's reach?
Yes. And am not talking geographically.

Am old enough to be your father.

...your country don't have communication satellite I can understand that...
My country is the US.

US don't own Cuba,...
We pretty much do -- notionally speaking. And everybody in the Western Hemisphere knows it.

...try to set blockade as much as they want but harm our ship and freedom of navigation to Cuba than US mean to declare war to China
And you think China can take on US in our backyard over Cuba ? :lol:

You cannot even take on US in your backyard. You want to see a real kid ? Go look in the mirror.

And we're eager to have joint exercise with US navy???
Yes, you do. You want to learn from the best, no ?

...we did more exercise with Russia than US...
Am sure you can learn a weeeee bit from the 2nd rate Russian Navy.
 
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The good doctor wrote the Grand Chessboard.

The prescription is followed to the letter by the US establishment.

Great to see how the mind of this strategist works...and how tactics evolve/change..but strategic thrust remains the same.

Only through study and application of wisdom a Taoist can percieve.

Through Virtue and Forbearance the Go can be played.

The Chinese have keenly studied the grand chessboard.

At display here is the difference between two paradigms.

Young ones seek excitement and fireworks... old and wise win without much fanfare.
 
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I think the best way for us to fight off the threat of THAAD is to develop our own version of jamming deception systems which are to make their wide area surveillance function obsolete
I am agree with you And that's what the most nation leader chose.
As in my opinion that's the deeper motives of the Chinass leader and any other country so they have a high diter now.
 
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China's “Going Out” Initiative: Service Demand of Western China to Tap Belt and Road Opportunities Part I

29 July 2016

Hong Kong Trade Office

Thanks to the active overseas investment of Chinese enterprises in recent years and the Chinese government’s advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, China was the world’s third-largest source of foreign investment for the fourth consecutive year in 2015. In fact, many mainland enterprises are stepping up their efforts in “going out” to look for brands, technologies and other resources to boost their competitiveness, while bringing in the advantages of foreign partners as a way to further develop Chinese and overseas markets.

HKTDC Research recently conducted a questionnaire survey with enterprises in western China. The results reveal that in order to deal with such challenges as securing financing, escalating production costs and market slowdowns, mainland enterprises are keen to seek outside professional services to help them achieve transformation and upgrading. These range from brand design and promotion strategies, to marketing and product research and development (R&D), to financial and legal services.

Moreover, the majority of enterprises surveyed said they would consider “going out” further to tap business opportunities in countries along the Belt and Road routes, particularly in ASEAN countries and other Southeast Asian markets. As well as aiming to sell more industrial/light consumer products to Belt and Road markets, they also wish to carry out sourcing and investment activities such as setting up factories.

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Many Chinese enterprises are considering “going out” to capture Belt and Road opportunities.

The largest proportion of the surveyed enterprises (50%) said that, in the course of “going out”, they would be most interested in going to Hong Kong to seek professional supporting services and business partners. This is in line with the results of similar surveys carried out by HKTDC Research in the past three years, namely in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in 2013, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) in 2014 and the Bohai Rim in 2015. Therefore, whether in the coastal regions or in western China, it is apparent that Hong Kong is the preferred services platform for mainland enterprises intent on “going out”.

New Pattern of Opening Up Under the 13th Five-Year Plan

China is not only a leading destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), but it also ranks among the world’s top sources of FDI. Indeed, China has in recent years significantly relaxed its administrative measures on outbound investment in order to facilitate the “going out” of enterprises to invest overseas. Furthermore, the Belt and Road Initiative strengthens mutually beneficial co-operation with countries along its economic corridors.

Adopted in March 2016, China’s 13th Five-Year Plan[1] stresses the need to establish a new pattern of all-round opening up in the next five years (2016-2020). It encourages enterprises to “go out” to establish sales networks in foreign markets and to bring in the advantages of foreign partners to enhance competitiveness. Meanwhile, bilateral and multilateral co-operation mechanisms will be improved to encourage co-operation and investment in countries along the Belt and Road routes, infrastructure connectivity and trade facilitation advanced, and co-operation in energy and industry chains strengthened. It can therefore be expected that China’s outbound investment activities will see further expansion.

The World’s Third-Largest FDI Source

According to the latest United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) figures[2], for four straight years since 2012 China has been the world’s third-largest source of FDI. China’s total outward FDI flows have increased from US$123.1 billion in 2014 to about US$127.6 billion in 2015, trailing only the United States (US$300 billion) and Japan (US$128.7 billion).

Although China has entered into a “new normal” of slower economic growth in the past few years, it has gradually become a main investor in certain developed countries. In particular, investment through cross-border mergers and acquisitions has been increasing, and has moved away from the previous pattern of focusing on energy and natural resources to a diversified pattern covering wholesale and retail, transportation and shipping/warehousing, and real property development. Furthermore, many Chinese enterprises have engaged with their foreign partners in co-operation projects involving technology, or are carrying out various types of commercial co-operation activities with foreign brands, as a way to further develop Chinese and overseas markets.


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Meanwhile, China’s direct investment in Belt and Road countries is continually increasing, rising substantially from about US$400 million in 2004 to US$13.66 billion in 2014, an average annual increase of about 43%. Ministry of Commerce figures show that in 2015 Chinese enterprises made non-financial sector direct investment totalling US$14.8 billion (+18.2%) to 49 Belt and Road countries, accounting for 12.6% of China’s total non-financial sector direct investment that year. The investment flows were mainly directed towards Singapore, Kazakhstan, Laos, Indonesia and Russia.

It is worth noting that a considerable number of Chinese enterprises choose Hong Kong as their main channel for carrying out outbound investment – not only because Hong Kong is an international financial centre in the region with such advantages as free flow of capital. Abundant global communications and market network resources, as well as the availability of a complete range of professional services, are also key factors attracting mainland enterprises to use the Hong Kong platform in “going out”.

According to Ministry of Commerce figures, in 2014 the Chinese mainland routed US$70.9 billion in outward FDI through Hong Kong, accounting for 57.6% of the mainland’s total FDI outflows that year. Based on cumulative investment stock as at the end of 2014, the mainland has made US$509.9 billion in outward FDI through Hong Kong, accounting for 57.8% of the mainland’s outward FDI stock.[3]

Part II @Shotgunner51

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China is the world’s third-largest source of FDI.

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A considerable number of Chinese enterprises choose Hong Kong as their main channel for outbound investment.


Hong Kong: a Preferred Platform

Many cities and economic regions along China’s coast have been open to the outside world for many years. As China’s economy and investment outflows expand, coastal regions, provinces and cities, such as the PRD, YRD and Bohai Rim, have become main sources of outbound investment. On the other hand, with the western region including Sichuan province and Chongqing municipal benefiting from the Western Development strategy and other preferential policies, and with the efforts of provinces and cities concerned in attracting outside businesses and capital, the economy in the western region has been developing rapidly. Western China has always been an important gateway, a trading and logistics hub and an industry exchange ground connecting to Central Asia, South Asia and West Asia, and now enterprises in the region are also developing related investment and trading opportunities under the country’s “going out” and Belt and Road initiatives.

In May 2016, HKTDC Research conducted a questionnaire survey at the SmartHK fair held in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province. As well as seeking to understand what challenges enterprises in western China are facing in their operations, the survey also aimed to find out about their intentions concerning transformation and upgrading, in “going out” to tap Belt and Road business opportunities, and their demand for professional services.

The survey followed similar studies carried out by HKTDC Research in the past three years in the PRD (2013), the YRD (2014) and Bohai Rim (2015) regions.[4] In the current survey, 237 effective questionnaires were completed by mainland enterprises (comprising trading companies, manufacturers and service suppliers) mainly from Sichuan, Chongqing and elsewhere in the western region.[5] The opinions of these 237 mainland enterprises on “going out” to tap Belt and Road business opportunities are outlined below.[6]

Challenges in Business Operations

Of the enterprises surveyed, 96% said they had come across different types of challenges in their operations in the past year. The three main problems they faced were (1) difficulties in financing; (2) rising labour, land and/or other production costs; and (3) a weak mainland market and inadequate orders. These accounted for 39%, 38% and 36%, respectively, of the enterprises surveyed.

In addition, 26% of the enterprises indicated they were worried about their lack of capability in product design and technological R&D; 22% pointed out that, in the face of keen competition in the international markets, they lacked competitive brands to help develop international markets and business; and 20% said they were affected by weak international markets and inadequate orders. By comparison, relatively few enterprises (only 9% of those surveyed) said the volatile renminbi exchange rate, including depreciation of the currencies in their target markets, was a hindrance.

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Adjusting Operating Strategy

Confronted with market competition and other challenges, 95% of the enterprises surveyed said they had already adjusted their business and operating strategies and made relevant investment, or would consider doing so in the next one to three years. As to the direction of adjustments in business and operating strategies, most enterprises indicated they would do more to develop overseas markets, accounting for 44% of all enterprises surveyed (including 29% saying they would do more to develop overseas mature markets and 25% saying they would do more to develop overseas emerging markets). In addition, 43% said they would develop/strengthen their own-brand business, while 41% said they would like to do more to develop the Chinese mainland market.

Compared with the results of previous surveys, enterprises in western China appeared to be as keen as their PRD counterparts in wanting to develop both overseas markets and the Chinese mainland market. In comparison, enterprises in the YRD and Bohai Rim regions were more concerned with bringing in foreign advantages to develop the mainland market, showing that the development strategies of enterprises in different regions were not all the same.

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Intention of Tapping Belt and Road Opportunities

In the current survey, enterprises were also asked about their opinion on Belt and Road opportunities. Among all the enterprises surveyed, 81% said they would consider tapping opportunities in countries along Belt and Road routes in the next one to three years. Among these enterprises, most (65%) said they would like to sell more industrial products and light consumer goods to Belt and Road markets. A smaller proportion of the enterprises (34%) would like to go to Belt and Road countries to carry out sourcing activities, including the sourcing of consumer goods/food products to sell in the mainland market or the sourcing of raw materials for production on the mainland. Some enterprises (26%) would like to invest and set up factories in Belt and Road countries. In addition, 17% would like to set up transit warehouses in overseas locations including Belt and Road countries to enhance international logistics efficiency.

On the other hand, more than half of the enterprises (53%) said they would be most interested in going to Southeast Asia, such as ASEAN countries, to tap Belt and Road opportunities. Other locations of interest included South Asia (27%), Central and West Asia (20%), Central and Eastern Europe (19%) and the Middle East and Africa (18%).

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Part III

Keen Demand for Hong Kong and Overseas Services

Facing all types of business and operating challenges and aiming to advance transformation and upgrading, the enterprises surveyed were keen for various types of professional services. In line with the results of HKTDC’s surveys conducted previously in the PRD, YRD and Bohai Rim regions, the three main types of services most sought by western China enterprises were: (1) brand design and promotion strategy; (2) marketing strategy for the development of new business and new markets (including the development of Belt and Road markets); and (3) product development and design. These accounted for 46%, 45% and 44%, respectively, of the enterprises surveyed. This shows that, irrespective of the direction of transformation and upgrading of mainland enterprises or the focus of their operating strategies, the professional services needs of enterprises from different regions are more or less the same.

Other services western China enterprises need to seek from the outside included: marketing activities tailored to overseas markets, including Belt and Road markets (37%); financial services such as banking, financing and project valuation (36%); services in energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection technology (33%); and supply chain management and support services, such as materials and product inventory and logistics management (31%). Of those enterprises surveyed requiring these services, more than 60% indicated they would use the services provided by Hong Kong or overseas suppliers, with the exception of energy conservation and environmental protection technology.

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“Going out” To Seek Business Partners

Meanwhile, 81% of the enterprises surveyed expressed an interest in seeking, or had already “gone out” to seek, business partners overseas. The majority of the enterprises (about 50%) said they were interested in co-operating with foreign brands to increase sales. This is similar to the results from the surveys previously conducted in the PRD, YRD and Bohai Rim regions. (Coincidentally, enterprises from different regions considered brand co-operation as their top reason for seeking foreign partners.)

In addition, 22% of the western China enterprises surveyed said they would like to acquire minority equity stakes in foreign companies to expand their overseas/mainland sales networks, 20% would like to enter into technological co-operation with overseas institutions, while 15% would like to redouble their efforts in purchasing high-tech equipment, raw materials and key parts and components from overseas.

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Hong Kong as the Preferred Services Platform for the Mainland’s “Going Out”

About half (50%) of the enterprises surveyed indicated they would like to go to Hong Kong to seek the professional services mentioned above and/or to look for foreign business partners. Although this proportion is slightly lower than in the previous three surveys, Hong Kong remains the “going out” platform preferred by most western China enterprises, and attracts the preference of a much higher proportion of enterprises surveyed than other locations such as the US, Germany, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore, which account for 26%, 20%, 19%, 17% and 14%, respectively, of the enterprises surveyed. It is therefore apparent that, irrespective of the location of a mainland enterprise or whether it is from the PRD, YRD, Bohai Rim or China’s western region, Hong Kong is the preferred services platform for “going out” from the mainland.

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http://hkmb.hktdc.com/en/1X0A6UMW/hktdc-research/Chinas-“Going-Out”-Initiative-Service-Demand-of-Western-China-to-Tap-Belt-and-Road-Opportunities?utm_source=enews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hkmb-edm

@Chinese-Dragon , @Beidou2020
 
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Here is a video on one of the OBOR railway between Yiwu, China and Madrid, Spain.

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Yiwu-Madrid railway line: New route between China and Europe

CCTV News
Published on 5 Aug 2016

Direct cargo trains between China and Europe are no longer new to logistics and transport. However, to one place in China, the new route, which began two years ago, has brought new meanings to the area. CCTV’s Shi Wenjing visits east China's Yiwu, a city that holds the world's largest commodity wholesale market.
 
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Not exactly 1B1R, but what the heck...

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Cambodia inaugurates China-funded road in western province
Source: Xinhua | 2016-08-02 18:04:20 | Editor: huaxia

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May 6, 2013. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen drive a bulldozer during the inauguration ceremony of the construction project of national road No. 44 in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia. (Xinhua/Li Hong)


KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Tuesday inaugurated the 140 km national road No. 44 here, which had been built under a concessional loan from China.

The road is off the national road No. 4, going through four districts in western Kampong Speu province and ending at the national road No. 5.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Bu Jianguo presided over the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by government officials, diplomatic corps and about 10,000 locals.

Hun Sen said the road was essential to facilitate travel and goods transport in the province, expressing his sincere thanks to China for her support to the project.

Ambassador Bu said she is confident that the road will contribute to improving the livelihood of residents along the road.

The road had been constructed by the China Road and Bridge Corporation in a period of 40 months.


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Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen cuts the ribbon during the inauguration ceremony of national road No. 44 in Kampong Speu province, Cambodia, Aug. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Sovannara)
 
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Now this news from Cambodia is OBOR (or Belt & Road Initiative) related...

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Cambodian PM, Chinese commerce minister discuss cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative
Source: Xinhua | 2016-08-01 21:38:09 | Editor: huaxia

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Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) meets with Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Sovannara)


PHNOM PENH, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen met with visiting Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng on Monday, discussing the cooperation between the two countries under the framework of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, a senior official said.

Hun Sen said that Cambodia fully supported the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that the country has been working to link its Rectangular Strategy to the initiative, according to Eang Sophalleth, a personal aide to the prime minister.

The prime minister said the initiative would importantly contribute to Cambodia's socio-economic development.

For his part, Gao said that his visit to Cambodia was to learn about Cambodia's strategy in connecting with the Belt and Road Initiative and to promote the implementation of agreements that the two countries had reached.

The minister said that he would hold talks with CambodianCommerce Minister Pan Sorasak, Finance Minister Aun **** Moniroth, and Transport Minister Sun Chanthol on Tuesday in order to explore ways to broaden bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and transport infrastructure development.

During the meeting, Hun Sen pinned the government's honorary medal to Gao to thank him for his contributions to the development of Cambodia.
 
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China's first refrigerated container train leaves for Moscow
(Xinhua) 21:04, August 08, 2016

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China's first refrigerated-container train left for Moscow from northeast China's Dalian on Monday, marking the opening of a new transport link between the two countries.

DALIAN, Aug.8 -- China's first refrigerated-container train left for Moscow from northeast China's Dalian on Monday, marking the opening of a new transport link between the two countries.

The new refrigerated-freight line is 8,600 km long, with trains taking about 10 days to reach Moscow. The train is carrying products worth 150,000 U.S.dollars, including pears from Hebei, pomelos from Guangdong and garlic from Shandong.

After crossing the border, goods will switch to a Russian freight train in Baikal, Siberia.

The new transport link will shorten the journey time by 60 percent as the old route used sea and rail travel.
China's refrigerated-product exports to Russia have been on the rise.

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China's first refrigerated-container train left for Moscow from northeast China's Dalian on Monday, marking the opening of a new transport link between the two countries.
 
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China’s US$1.4 trillion ‘One Belt, One Road’ set to make bigger impact than US’ Marshall Plan to rebuild post-war Europe

Project is set to leave economic legacy bigger and extend Beijing’s might across the globe

PUBLISHED : Monday, 08 August, 2016, 2:03pm
UPDATED : Monday, 08 August, 2016, 11:08pm

China’s ambition to revive an ancient trading route stretching from Asia to Europe could leave an economic legacy bigger than the Marshall Plan or the European Union’s enlargement, according to a new analysis.

Dubbed “One Belt, One Road”, the plan to build rail, highways and ports will embolden China’s soft-power status by spreading economic prosperity during a time of heightened political uncertainty in both the United States and European Union, according to Stephen L. Jen, chief executive officer at Eurizon SLJ Capital, who estimates a value of US$1.4 trillion for the project.

It will also boost trading links and help internationalise the yuan as banks open branches along the route, according to Jen.

“This is a quintessential example of a geopolitical event that will likely be consequential for the global economy and the balance of political power in the long run,” said Jen, a former International Monetary Fund economist.

Reaching from east to west, the Silk Road Economic Belt will extend to Europe through Central Asia and the Maritime Silk Road will link sea lanes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

While China’s authorities aren’t calling their Silk Road a new Marshall Plan, that’s not stopping comparisons with the US effort to rebuild western Europe after the second world war.

With the potential to touch on 64 countries, 4.4 billion people and around 40 per cent of the global economy, Jen estimates that the “One Belt, One Road” project will be 12 times bigger in absolute dollar terms than the Marshall Plan.

China may spend as much as 9 per cent of gross domestic product – about double the US’ boost to post-war Europe in those terms.

“The ‘One Belt, One Road’ project, in terms of its size, could be multiple times larger and more ambitious than the Marshall Plan or the European enlargement,” said Jen.

It’s not all upside. Undertaking an expansive plan like this one will inevitably run the risk of corruption, project delays and local opposition.

Chinese-backed projects have frequently run into trouble before, especially in Africa, and there’s no guarantee that potential recipient nations will put up their hand for the aid.

In addition, resurrecting the trading route will need funding during a time of slowing growth and rising bad loans in the nation’s banks. Sending money abroad when it’s needed at home may not have an enduring appeal.

Still, at least China has a plan.

The fact that this is a 30-40 year plan is remarkable as China is the only country with any long-term development plan, and this underscores the policy long-termism in China, in contrast to the dominance of policy short-termism in much of the West,” Jen said.

And that’s a win-win for soft power.

“The ‘One Belt, One Road’ project could be a huge PR exercise that could win over government and public support in these countries,” he said.


This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as:
Silk Road scheme ‘may dwarf Marshall Plan’s ambitions’
 
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by Andrew Mckirdy
Staff Writer

Aug 9, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO – Japan captured the men’s Olympic team all-around gymnastic gold medal it craved after pulling away from the competition in imperious fashion at the Rio Games on Monday.

The team of Kohei Uchimura, Ryohei Kato, Yusuke Tanaka, Kenzo Shirai and Koji Yamamuro started slowly at Rio Olympic Arena but gradually reeled in leader Russia before moving into first place by the finest of margins going into the final rotation.

A stunning floor performance by Olympic debutant Shirai then gave Japan breathing space ahead of nearest rivals Russia and China, and a final score of 274.094 confirmed Japan’s win and a first Olympic team gold since the 2004 Athens Games.

“Now that I’ve got this medal, it really feels like a real Olympic gold medal,” said team leader Uchimura, a record six-time all-around world champion who will attempt to defend his individual Olympic title on Wednesday.

“I’ve won individual gold medals before but this feels completely different. To win a gold medal with my friends is something that makes me so happy.”

Russia took the silver medal with a score of 271.453, while China, which won gold in both 2008 and 2012, took bronze with 271.122.

Shirai bagged the second-highest individual score of the final just when his team needed it most.

Japan headed into the final floor exercise with less than a point lead over both Russia and China, but the 19-year-old twisted and tumbled his way to a mark of 16.133 to put the gold medal beyond doubt.

“I felt a huge responsibility going into the floor exercise,” said Shirai, who will compete in the floor final on Sunday. “The coach had told me to practice the things that had gone wrong in qualifying, and I wasn’t thinking that I was going to fail. I knew if I performed as I usually did, I would be OK.”

Japan, which won the world team title last October in Glasgow, Scotland, after a 37-year drought, got off to a difficult start when Yamamuro fell off the pommel horse, the team’s first apparatus of the evening.

“At first I started thinking about why I had fallen off, but then I told myself to just go out there and do the things I am capable of and think only about that,” said Yamamuro.

Yamamuro’s mistake left Japan in sixth place after the first rotation, but strong performances on the rings and vault pushed the team up to second behind Russia before a ferocious showing by Tanaka on the parallel bars further closed the gap.

“I’ve been working hard for the past four years since the London Olympics, and I wanted to be able to keep my cool during this competition,” said Tanaka, whose performance on the parallel bars earned him a score of 15.9, the team’s second-highest mark behind Shirai’s floor performance.

“But it’s just not possible to keep your cool when you get here. So all I could do was just believe in my training and go out there and do it.”

Japan struggled to find its rhythm in Saturday’s qualifying round, with Uchimura slipping on the pommel horse and falling off the horizontal bar to set nerves jangling ahead of the final.

But a steady performance on the night brought the team the prize that had eluded it at the past two Olympics, and Shirai — the only member making his debut — was pleased to make it first time lucky.

“I’ve dreamed of competing at the Olympics since I was a little kid, especially when I watched the teams that lost in Beijing and London,” said the Nippon Sports Science University student. “So to be part of the team that has won the gold medal hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m really happy and it’s a great experience.”

And now that Japan’s 12-year Olympic itch has been scratched, Uchimura is hoping for more success on home soil in four years’ time.

“You can’t top what happened in Athens, but we’ve made our own history here,” said the 27-year-old Nagasaki Prefecture native. “I think this is something that we can take into the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“This result will put pressure on the gymnasts who compete in the final in 2020, but there are many in Japan who can live up to that. I’d like them to watch what we’ve done and take as much from it as they can.”

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US women's gymnastics team strikes gold over Russia, China.
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