Italy has announced its formal withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative after joining the China-centered infrastructure and investment project in 2019.
The timing of the announcement that Rome won’t renew its BRI commitment is notable. It came only a day before the EU-China summit, which kicks off on Thursday. The summit will likely be more contentious than usual, with European leaders expected to push China on the treatment of EU firms amid discussions ...
Category: Railways
Kenya Wildly Overpaid for Chinese-Built Railway: Politician
As increased debt payments eat into Kenya’s budget, the business executive and 2022 presidential contender Jimi Wanjigi alleges that the country overpaid by more than 100% for the Standard Gauge Railway. The controversial project, built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, has ...
Philippines Drops Railway Funding Request from China Amid South China Sea Disputes
The Philippines is dropping its request for Chinese loans to fund three railway projects totaling more than $5 billion. The decision comes as recent tensions between the two countries in the South China Sea have hit fever pitch. Manila, which said ...
Africa’s Strong Presence at China’s Belt & Road Forum
Five of the 24 heads of state who attended this week's Belt and Road Forum in Beijing were from African countries, highlighting the prominent role the continent played at the event. Many of the themes ...
Xi Meets with Kenyan, UN, Nigerian Leaders
Chinese President Xi Jinping had another flurry of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum on Wednesday. During his meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto, Xi pledged further support for investment in Kenya, as well as cooperation in ...
Kenya’s President Appeals to Chinese Investors to Finance Railway Extension to Ugandan Border
Kenyan President William Ruto issued a direct appeal to Chinese investors to finance the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) to the Ugandan border. The president explained that completing this last portion of the railway would unlock significant economic opportunities throughout ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Awkward Timing as Italy Withdraws from BRI
China’s “Marshall Plan” for South Africa Raises Questions
China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has apparently provided a comprehensive blueprint to overhaul South Africa’s ailing infrastructure sector in order to kickstart growth. South African development is being dragged down by a joint crisis in its state-owned enterprises. Ongoing blackouts from its ...
China Ushers in New Era of High-Speed Rail in Southeast Asia
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated Southeast Asia's first-ever high-speed railway on Monday with the official opening of "Whoosh," the Chinese-backed bullet train that zips at 350kmh between the capital Jakarta and the Javan city of Bandung. The new railway opened four ...
The West’s Answer to China’s Belt and Road Initiative is Already Encountering Resistance… From Turkey
The hugely ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) multi-modal trade route is already beginning to encounter resistance just weeks after being announced at the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi. IMEC is the latest effort by the U.S. and Europe to build ...
Chinese Contractor Pledges to Complete Nigerian Capital’s Light Rail in Eight Months
The local head of Chinese construction major CCECC, Jason Zheng, pledged that it would only take eight months to build the once-abandoned light rail in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Zheng made the promise during a meeting last week with Nigerian Vice ...
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Arrived in Beijing on a High-Speed Train
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in a rather unusual manner for a visiting head of state. Rather than fly into Beijing's sprawling Capital Airport on the outskirts of the city, Maduro traveled aboard one of China's newest and ...