The Belt and Road Initiative is a development strategy adopted by the Chinese government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organizations in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
(Back L-R) Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Myanmar State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi (C) and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrive for the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) in Beijing, China, 26 April 2019.The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature global infrastructure policy. First announced in 2013, the project promises to build ports, roads and railways to create new trade corridors linking China to Asia, Africa and Europe.
New top-level attendees from Europe include Austria, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, and Portugal (interestingly, despite all the fuss over Italy officially signing a BRI accord with China last month, Italy’s prime minister was also in attendance in 2017). In other words, China’s BRI is experiencing a healthy growth of interest from Europe, despite some pushback from Brussels.
Leaders from across the world have arrived in Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum, drawn by the possibility of billions of dollars in Chinese funding for infrastructure projects.
South Asia remains notable for the absence of top-level representation. India was a pointed no-show, as it continues to be deeply concerned that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through territory occupied by Pakistan, but claimed by India. But New Delhi wasn’t alone in passing up the chance to send a top leader to the 2019 BRF.
Beijing has trumpeted this year’s larger turnout of world leaders, with 37 in total compared to 29 in 2017. Major global bodies such as the International Monetary Fund have also flown in to attend the gala event. But there are notable absences, including key Chinese diplomatic partners, such as Sri Lanka and Turkey, as well as the country’s largest trading partner, the United States.
