BEIJING: China’s landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has 1000’s of infrastructure tasks in each nook of the globe, producing a staggering US$2 trillion in contracts whereas courting worldwide controversy.
Right here AFP appears to be like at 5 key tasks:
LAOS: HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY
Laos took on large loans from China to partially finance a US$6 billion high-speed railway connecting it with the underdeveloped, landlocked nation.
The practically 1050km line linking the Chinese language metropolis of Kunming to the Laotian capital Vientiane opened in 2021 and has served tens of tens of millions of passengers, Beijing says.
It’s envisaged as the primary string in a sprawling internet of rail tasks knitting China nearer to different nations in Southeast Asia.
Each side have touted the mission as a public good, with Beijing saying it “bears friendship, happiness and alternatives”.
Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone advised the Chinese language state-run International Occasions on Sunday (Oct 15) that the railway “advantages not solely Laos but in addition neighbouring nations”.
However critics have mentioned debt-riddled Laos is unlikely to make a lot cash from the mission and can wrestle to pay again China, its main creditor.
PAKISTAN: ECONOMIC CORRIDOR
Plans to develop an “financial hall” linking China and Pakistan took on new impetus once they had been absorbed into the BRI framework a decade in the past.
The staunch allies have earmarked tens of billions of {dollars} for a spread of transport and vitality tasks connecting western China with Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.
