New Silk Road critics ‘prejudiced’

China has never forced debt upon participants in its new Silk Road project as “prejudiced” critics have suggested, its top diplomat says in a strongly worded defence of a key policy platform of President Xi Jinping

Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, as it is formally called, envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with huge infrastructure spending.

But it has proved controversial in many Western capitals, particularly Washington, which views it as merely a means to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt through nontransparent projects.

The US has been particularly critical of Italy’s decision to sign up to the plan, the first for a Group of 7 nation.

Speaking to the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, Yang Jiechi, who runs the party’s foreign affairs committee, said he had noted that some in the international community believed this was a geopolitical tool and would only bring debt traps for participating countries.

“This obviously shows a lack of objectivity and fair understanding of the Belt and Road initiative. It is a misunderstanding, misjudgment and is even prejudiced,” Yang, a former foreign minister and ambassador to Washington, wrote.

China has emphasised many times that the Belt and Road is to promote joint development, he added. It is “open, inclusive and transparent. It does not play little geopolitical games. It does not engage in the exclusion of exclusive small circles.”

Yang noted that many countries, companies and ordinary people participating in the Belt and Road project had “publicly refuted rumours” about it being a debt trap. Belt and Road projects, from their selection to their financing, go through careful risk assessments and the initiative’s principles stress sustainable development, he said.

“For co-operative partners who have debt difficulties, China’s principle is to appropriately resolve this through friendly consultations, and has never pushed or forced debt” on anyone, Yang said.

No nation taking part has had a debt crisis yet and many were able to escape the “no development trap”, he wrote.

China will hold its second Belt and Road summit in Beijing in late April.