China's Belt and Road Initiative and Ex-Im Chin

(Friends of the Earth USA, Washington, December 2016) The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a major Chinese strategy which marks a national push for China to increase economic links to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and the Baltic region (Central and Eastern Europe) through various infrastructure and development projects. BRI sends a clear signal for Chinese industries to invest along proposed BRI land and maritime routes, and embodies the political, economic, and foreign diplomacy interests of China abroad. The Export-Import Bank of China holds an outstanding loan balance of over 1000 projects involving roads, railways, ports, power resources, pipelines, communication, and industrial parks in the 49 countries along the 'Belt and Road'. [p.6] A researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation has suggested that China must take active measures to reduce upheaval and turmoil from Islamic risk in the BRI, in part through upgraded policy-oriented export credit insurance and foreign investment insurance.