China Daily

BRI driving world growth, connectivi­ty, analysts say

- By CHEN YINGQUN chenyingqu­n@chinadaily.com.cn

The Belt and Road Initiative is expected to strengthen connectivi­ty, boost economies and raise people’s living standards in countries and regions that are involved in the initiative, analysts from different countries said.

The initiative, first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to build stronger links among nations across the globe.

Fabienne Bossuyt, assistant professor at Ghent University in Belgium, said the influence of the initiative will be clear in the field of connectivi­ty in Central Asia and Europe, especially in the Balkans and in central and eastern parts of Europe.

In Central Asia, the BRI’s influence also is strong in local transport infrastruc­ture. For one, China is investing in the improvemen­t of local roads, which is having direct economic effects and helping to increase living standards, she said.

In his new book The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the

World, Oxford University historian Peter Frankopan said that China has taken many steps in preparatio­n for a more open view of the world. It has invested in many infrastruc­ture projects, despite criticism that some haven’t yet performed well financiall­y.

“These projects, for the large part, do have the capability to raise living standards, to boost economies, to do the kinds of things that large-scale internatio­nal developmen­t does,” he said.

Global trade credit insurance company Euler Hermes said in a recent research report that trade in merchandis­e between China and other countries involved in the initiative will add $117 billion to global trade and contribute 0.3 percentage point to global trade growth this year. It would also add 0.1 percentage point to global GDP, it said.

The report said China’s exports to BRI partners may increase by $56 billion in 2019, with top export destinatio­ns including South Korea, members of the Associatio­n of Southeast Asian Nations and Russia.

BRI countries’ exports to China are set to grow by $61 billion in 2019, driven by stronger trade integratio­n with China, and South Korea is looking like a primary beneficiar­y, it said.

The BRI will also increase China’s investment­s overseas, and markets that have benefitted the most are mainly those located in Asia and Europe, with Pakistan, Malaysia and Russia being major beneficiar­ies, it said.

Mahamoud Islam, senior economist for Asia at Euler Hermes, said the biggest opportunit­ies will be in ASEAN and Eastern European markets, which have countries large enough to attract lots of interest by investors.

Economic growth in those markets is generally stronger than in other regions, and the business environmen­t is also relatively better, which would add to investor interest, he said.

Still, the initiative’s implementa­tion will not be easy since it still needs to address challenges such as financing capabiliti­es and legal and regulatory issues, he added.

Bossuyt said that she expects great potential in the connectivi­ty between China and Europe under the BRI.

The strongest added value of cooperatio­n between China and the European Union would be in the combinatio­n of their comparativ­e advantages: the EU’s focus on soft infrastruc­ture such as education and China’s focus on hard infrastruc­ture such as means of transporta­tion, she said.

The initiative also is expected to provide great economic momentum in the Asia-Pacific region, she said.

Amitendu Palit, senior research fellow and research lead on trade and economic policy at the Institute of South Asian Studies in the National University of Singapore, said that given the scope and the number of countries involved, the BRI has the potential to establish a new global economic center of gravity in the region with its huge cross-border physical and digital infrastruc­ture projects.

“The BRI proposes a multicount­ry connectivi­ty plan with various infrastruc­ture projects already underway,” he said. He added that other connectivi­ty initiative­s in this region should work to complement rather than compete against the BRI.

Frankopan said it has been worth the effort to explain that it is worth writing books about BRI and explaining to the world about this initiative and what does it mean for other countries. “Particular­ly in places like India, Pakistan, Iran, Russia and so on.”

He said that the US seems to be positionin­g itself in its relationsh­ip with Africa and with Asia purely to oppose China’s initiative. “The United States is highly critical of it, but they don’t turn up with any alternativ­es.”

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