By: Azhar Azam
This is one of my pieces that originally appeared in CGTN with little editorial changes https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d414d31497a4d34457a6333566d54/index.html
In Beijing, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRFIC) is loping in the presence of some 37 world leaders and 5,000 representatives from 150 countries and 90 international organizations. The United States, however, circumvented to send its delegation in the second biennial summit.
U.S. has been warning the countries to be wary of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through which China is spending billions of dollars in infrastructure loans and economic development to net the recipient countries into a debt trap, to take control their strategic assets, and to grow its global footprint.
While criticizing the innovative concept of regional connectivity and shared economic growth, the United States completely ignored that it is the U.S. that has, for decades, maintained its military bases in a number of foreign countries to increase its global influence and oversee the strategic assets of its allies in guise of protecting their sovereignty. In comparison, China has only one base in Djibouti.
Then how anybody can forget that the United States killed an enormous 480,000 – 507,000 people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan in its global war on terror (GWOT) in the aftermath of September 9 terrorist attacks. On the other hand, how many times Chinese air force tested its lethal weapons on the innocent civilians anywhere in the world?
Seeing through the ogles of the United States, Belt and Road apparently seems a Chinese hegemonic plan to seek greater influence but in reality, the initiative has gained the trust of as many as 126 countries and 29 international organizations. This unique combination of land-based and oceangoing project, in its initial phase, has already produced nearly 300,000 jobs in the BRI countries.
Surely, China is pursuing an economic plan what the United States considers “to enslave nations” but nobody should either ignore that even if it so, it is much better than the U.S. catalyst “to engrave people” in the façade of defending Americans and American land.
Paraphrasing, the United States owes China more than anyone else in the world but it never fell into the Chinese debt trap. This is certainly because of its robust and resilient economy but also because China never intended to web the United States into its debt trap.
Additionally, had BRI been a debt trap, Italy would have declined to link itself with the “controversial” initiative and also France would have not shown its willingness to cooperate with China in the programs under Belt and Road.
Economic growth and the poverty alleviation is the dream of any country but it cannot bear fruit unless and until the national regimes make some joint and collaborated efforts with the help of its people. This is what China is trying to make the BRI countries realize.
In fact, the rising clamor of “debt trap” is largely propagated by the U.S.-influenced western media to undermine China-led global economic growth whereas the truth remains that neither of the BRI countries has ever officially complained Beijing for its “predatory economics” or “controlling its strategic assets”.
Pakistan is the one of the leading examples to snub the US misgivings. There is no doubt that Islamabad is scrambled into a terrific economic crisis and plummeting foreign exchange reserves. But it is mainly due to its internal economic and political turmoil so it would be pretty unfair to lay the burden of country’s economic vulnerability on Belt and Road or China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Therefore, Prime Minister Imran Khan once again annulled the long spread out rumors that CPEC has caught Pakistan into Chinese debt trap. In the ongoing Belt and Road conference, Khan further fervidly assured his “staunch support” for Xi’s idée fixe.
He was supporting the initiative, knowing that China or CPEC was responsible for raising only $6 billion in external debt of Pakistan, which is just over 6% of the country’s total external debt and liabilities (as of December).
The 2019 Belt and Road Forum (BRF) also features 12 heads of states or government officials from European Union including the economic highfliers like Germany and United Kingdom apart from Austria, Italy, France, and Russia. The trend shows the expanding acceptance of Belt and Road across Europe despite reservations. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and special prime ministerial envoy from Japan are also present in the economic gala.
In a diplomatic win for China, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahatir Mohammad also vouched his support for Belt and Road. “I am fully in support of the Belt and Road initiative. I am sure my country, Malaysia, will benefit from the project.” Mohammad has been a stalwart critic of BRI over inflated costs and national sovereignty.
As President Xi Jinping modestly invited everyone to join the BRI stating “The Belt and Road is not an exclusive club” and emphasized “the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanness” – there is no reason why the United States should oppose the initiative or stoke panic in the BRI countries.
The U.S. defiance to BRI would also be grim when China has already promised to meet much of the U.S. demands to abolish state subsidies, improve intellectual property protection, and keep its yuan stable to a reasonable value.
U.S. has been warning the countries to be wary of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through which China is spending billions of dollars in infrastructure loans and economic development to net the recipient countries into a debt trap, to take control their strategic assets, and to grow its global footprint.
While criticizing the innovative concept of regional connectivity and shared economic growth, the United States completely ignored that it is the U.S. that has, for decades, maintained its military bases in a number of foreign countries to increase its global influence and oversee the strategic assets of its allies in guise of protecting their sovereignty. In comparison, China has only one base in Djibouti.
Then how anybody can forget that the United States killed an enormous 480,000 – 507,000 people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan in its global war on terror (GWOT) in the aftermath of September 9 terrorist attacks. On the other hand, how many times Chinese air force tested its lethal weapons on the innocent civilians anywhere in the world?
Seeing through the ogles of the United States, Belt and Road apparently seems a Chinese hegemonic plan to seek greater influence but in reality, the initiative has gained the trust of as many as 126 countries and 29 international organizations. This unique combination of land-based and oceangoing project, in its initial phase, has already produced nearly 300,000 jobs in the BRI countries.
Surely, China is pursuing an economic plan what the United States considers “to enslave nations” but nobody should either ignore that even if it so, it is much better than the U.S. catalyst “to engrave people” in the façade of defending Americans and American land.
Paraphrasing, the United States owes China more than anyone else in the world but it never fell into the Chinese debt trap. This is certainly because of its robust and resilient economy but also because China never intended to web the United States into its debt trap.
Additionally, had BRI been a debt trap, Italy would have declined to link itself with the “controversial” initiative and also France would have not shown its willingness to cooperate with China in the programs under Belt and Road.
Economic growth and the poverty alleviation is the dream of any country but it cannot bear fruit unless and until the national regimes make some joint and collaborated efforts with the help of its people. This is what China is trying to make the BRI countries realize.
In fact, the rising clamor of “debt trap” is largely propagated by the U.S.-influenced western media to undermine China-led global economic growth whereas the truth remains that neither of the BRI countries has ever officially complained Beijing for its “predatory economics” or “controlling its strategic assets”.
Pakistan is the one of the leading examples to snub the US misgivings. There is no doubt that Islamabad is scrambled into a terrific economic crisis and plummeting foreign exchange reserves. But it is mainly due to its internal economic and political turmoil so it would be pretty unfair to lay the burden of country’s economic vulnerability on Belt and Road or China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Therefore, Prime Minister Imran Khan once again annulled the long spread out rumors that CPEC has caught Pakistan into Chinese debt trap. In the ongoing Belt and Road conference, Khan further fervidly assured his “staunch support” for Xi’s idée fixe.
He was supporting the initiative, knowing that China or CPEC was responsible for raising only $6 billion in external debt of Pakistan, which is just over 6% of the country’s total external debt and liabilities (as of December).
The 2019 Belt and Road Forum (BRF) also features 12 heads of states or government officials from European Union including the economic highfliers like Germany and United Kingdom apart from Austria, Italy, France, and Russia. The trend shows the expanding acceptance of Belt and Road across Europe despite reservations. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and special prime ministerial envoy from Japan are also present in the economic gala.
In a diplomatic win for China, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahatir Mohammad also vouched his support for Belt and Road. “I am fully in support of the Belt and Road initiative. I am sure my country, Malaysia, will benefit from the project.” Mohammad has been a stalwart critic of BRI over inflated costs and national sovereignty.
As President Xi Jinping modestly invited everyone to join the BRI stating “The Belt and Road is not an exclusive club” and emphasized “the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanness” – there is no reason why the United States should oppose the initiative or stoke panic in the BRI countries.
The U.S. defiance to BRI would also be grim when China has already promised to meet much of the U.S. demands to abolish state subsidies, improve intellectual property protection, and keep its yuan stable to a reasonable value.