TEHRAN, Apr 27 - China sought to put a gentler face on its massive plan to recreate the old Silk Road at a summit that ended on Saturday, saying it must do more to explain the program and boost sustainability even as state media hit back at critics.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -President Xi Jinping has made the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as it is formally called, one of the cornerstones of his administration. But it has run into opposition in some countries over fears that opaque financing arrangements lead to unsustainable debt and that it is more about promoting Chinese influence than bringing development.
China has at times reacted angrily to such doubts, tending to characterize critics as harboring anti-Chinese prejudice and wishing to contain the country’s rise, while overlooking what Beijing says are genuine good intentions.
The Belt and Road scheme seeks to build a modern version of the Silk Road to link China with Asia, Europe and beyond through large-scale infrastructure projects.
On Friday, Xi told foreign leaders - including close allies such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan - that the initiative must be green and sustainable, adding that the plan would deliver “high-quality” growth for all.
Meeting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Xi said Belt and Road was about promoting mutually beneficial, win-win international cooperation, not a “you lose, I win” scheme, according to a read-out from China’s Foreign Ministry.
“We must explain this point to the world, to win even greater understanding and support,” the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying.
China has been keen to show that Belt and Road is even winning acceptance in Western nations, especially after Italy became the first G7 country to sign on last month. Britain’s finance minister, France’s foreign minister and Germany’s economy minister all made the trek to Beijing for the event.
Those countries reminded China of the need for high standards and transparency.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the summit that the success of Belt and Road projects “will depend on our determination to keep our commitments”.
Source: Reuters
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