Intl environment getting complex for BRI: Xi warns officials
The global environment for building projects under China’s BRI is becoming increasingly complex, President Xi Jinping has said, encouraging officials to seize the strategic opportunities and actively respond to challenges facing his multi-billion-dollar pet initiative, which is set to face competition from the US’ Build Back Better World plan.
Xi on Friday called for efforts to continue promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through joint efforts and the initiative should aim for high-standard, sustainable and people-centered progress.
Noting that the international environment for building the BRI is becoming increasingly complex, Xi, while addressing a high-level symposium on the initiative, asked the Chinese officials to maintain determination, seize strategic opportunities, actively respond to challenges and move forward.
Without any direct reference, Xi called for promoting political consensus into concrete action, and transforming idea recognition into practical results.He also suggested expanding new areas of cooperation, such as pandemic control, low-carbon development, and e-commerce.
This is the first time Xi spoke about the BRI after US President Joe Biden launched the Build Back Better World (B3W) initiative during the June G-7 summit, with the goal of creating “a values-driven, high-standard and transparent infrastructure partnership” to help finance projects in developing countries.
China has played down any competition between the two, saying that the BRI is open for international cooperation.