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:
That LOL moment when you read China and Pakistan's collaborative think tank is called #RANDI! Late to the party but did have a good laugh ??
— R?? D????(4 goal FC) (@Fergieway) April 21, 2015
It took joint Pak-Chinese imagination to produce this marvellous 5-letter disaster of ACRONYMOLOGICAL proportions http://t.co/6CnBtSncj8
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) April 20, 2015
The #RANDI think tank is indeed making everyone think as deep as they possibly could
— Haroon Hayat (@Rjharoon) April 21, 2015
That awkward moment when a think tank does not even think its name through. #RANDI
— Numbyaar (@NumbYaar) April 20, 2015
Not surprised that China and Pakistan's economic think tank is called RANDI.
China has always been a Red Light Area.#MaoZeDONG— Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) April 20, 2015
There was also once #PISS (Pakistan Institute of Strategic Studies) Headed by @ShireenMazari1 & @sherryrehman like #RANDI
— eternity (@eternit96426605) April 20, 2015
They really named it #RANDI
Einstein once said "2 things are infinite – Universe and Stupidity, I am not sure about the Universe."
— Shishir Agrawal (@clickepic) April 20, 2015
It's highly offensive think tank. #RANDI
— Nazrana Ghaffar (@NazranaYusufzai) April 20, 2015
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.