Pakistan, China Name New Think Tank ‘RANDI’, Twitter Goes Crazy

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On Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pakistan to launch a series of development projects. China has signed 51 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Islamabad to develop a China-Pakistan economic corridor that will connect China’s restive Xinjiang to the Arabian sea. It will give China direct access to oil in the Middle-East.

But what stole the show, at least on social media, was new think tank launched on Monday to focus on the development of the economic corridor. According to the press statement issued by Pakistan-China Institute, the new think tank has been named ‘Research and Development International.’ The name is pretty good and harmless, but its acronym ‘RANDI’ takes the cake. Yes, you read it right.

Twitter trolls make fun of think tank

In case you are not familiar with the word, it’s a vulgar Hindi/Urdu word for “whore.” Twitteratti was quick to react on the name of the think tank. Here are some of the tweets making fun of the name:

https://twitter.com/Cantonaesque_/status/590462688167206915

https://twitter.com/hankypanty/status/590105808085471232

https://twitter.com/eternit96426605/status/590094680051744770

China to invest $46 billion in Pakistan

Meanwhile, some others suggested better acronyms such as ‘RDI’ for the think tank. The think tank will be co-chaired by Madame Zhao Baige, a member of Chinese parliament, and Pakistan’s Mushahid Hussain. Jokes apart, China has agreed to invest $46 billion in Pakistan over the next 15 years. That figure far exceeds about $7.5 billion given by the U.S. to Pakistan between 2009 and 2014. The economic corridor underscores Beijing’s economic ambitions in Asia and Beyond.

The economic corridor will create a network of pipelines, railways and roads linking China’s Xinjiang province to Pakistan’s Gwadar port. Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif said the corridor will benefit all the areas and provinces of Pakistan. It will also give China a cheaper and shorter route for trade and investment in central, south and west Asia, the Middle-East and Africa.

China will also develop a series of energy projects to relieve Pakistan of acute energy shortage.

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