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Belt and Road Initiative
ChinaDiplomacy

Views on Beijing’s ‘unique alternative’ split along geopolitical lines as Xi embraces Putin at belt and road forum

  • Belt and road forum marked 10 years of a strategy that has been criticised by many developed economies
  • Reactions have been divided, with much of the focus on China’s embrace of Russian leader Vladimir Putin

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Xi Jinping greets Vladimir Putin at the belt and road forum in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Zhao Ziwenin Hong KongandYuanyue Dangin Beijing
As Beijing hosted dozens of world leaders for a forum marking a decade of its Belt and Road Initiative, much of the focus was on China’s embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who made a rare trip abroad to attend the event.
Reaction to the two-day summit that ended on Wednesday has been largely divided along geopolitical lines, with Washington calling that embrace “unfortunate”.

Many developed economies have long been critical of Beijing’s vast infrastructure investment scheme, with concerns over poor nations becoming mired in debt, environmental issues and a lack of transparency. But the initiative, and this week’s forum, has had some support from the Global South.

The European Union delegation to China said it was for individual countries to weigh the “benefits and commitments” of the belt and road plan and that it had “taken note” of a meeting between Putin and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the forum on Wednesday.

“China should use its influence on Russia to [urge it to] immediately and unconditionally withdraw all forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine,” the EU delegation said.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping unveils 8-point vision for nation’s Belt and Road Initiative at forum

Chinese President Xi Jinping unveils 8-point vision for nation’s Belt and Road Initiative at forum

Moritz Rudolf, a German expert in Chinese governance at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Centre and a delegate at the summit, said the dearth of European attendees was palpable.

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