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China’s Xi Jinping boosts belt and road in talks with leaders of Indonesia, Guyana and Georgia
- The global infrastructure strategy is Chinese president’s main talking point during meetings with Joko Widodo, Irfaan Ali and Irakli Garibashvili
- Xi also discusses the plan with leaders of Mauritania and Burundi on sidelines of World University Games in Chengdu
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has sought to boost the Belt and Road Initiative through engagements with multiple foreign leaders on the sidelines of the World University Games in Chengdu.
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China’s global infrastructure strategy stood out as a main talking point in his meetings with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Thursday.
Beijing is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the initiative and is expected to host the third edition of the Belt and Road Forum later this year – the first since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Xi told Garibashvili that China was ready to push forward with building the belt and road with Georgia. He added that Beijing welcomed more exports from the country and encouraged more Chinese companies to invest there.
Xi said the two countries were set to announce that bilateral relations would be upgraded to a “strategic partnership” during Garibashvili’s trip to China, according to state news agency Xinhua.
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China and Georgia ratified a free-trade agreement in 2017 – Beijing’s first with a former Soviet state. Georgia applied for EU membership last year and has launched a bid to join Nato.
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