China's Belt and Road Initiative is facing new snags, with Italy announcing its withdrawal from the program while security concerns in Pakistan and elsewhere cloud the prospects for ongoing infrastructure projects.
While China continues to face criticism that it is creating debt traps for financially distressed countries, President Xi Jinping's government is making moves that could potentially benefit the huge infrastructure building drive, such as drawing closer to Afghanistan's Taliban government. Here is a selection of stories on the latest developments.
Italy's Belt and Road exit shines light on ties ahead of EU-China summit
Italy this month decided to pull out of the Belt and Road Initiative. The country's right-wing leader, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, had been vocal about wanting to withdraw, at one point saying the program had not produced the hoped-for results. What does this mean for relations between the two countries? Read more.
Italy's Belt and Road blues highlight hopes for India-Europe corridor
Across Europe, there is growing discomfort regarding the initiative, including security fears and complaints about "broken promises." Italy has withdrawn from the program and now the region is searching for alternatives, including the recently proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. Read more.
Attack on Pakistan highway to China shakes key Belt and Road link
A deadly attack on Pakistan's Karakoram Highway has renewed security concerns in the area, as the road is an essential link that will connect China with the Pakistani port of Gwadar and is considered crucial for developing the two countries' economic relationship. Read more.
Taliban says China has accepted its envoy to Beijing
Afghanistan's Taliban government says China has accepted its choice for ambassador to Beijing. China is the first country to recognize an envoy from Kabul since the Islamist group seized power in 2021. China is likely drawing closer to the Taliban as it sees benefits for the Belt and Road Initiative, which includes projects in neighboring Pakistan. Read more.
China aims to cut Belt and Road distressed debt exposure, report says
More than half of China's $1.1 trillion of loans to low- and middle-income countries have entered their principal repayment periods, a new study by research lab AidData has found. "Beijing is navigating an unfamiliar and uncomfortable role as the world's largest official debt collector," the report stated. Read more.
New airport shows Cambodia can get what it wants from China
"Cambodia's newly inaugurated Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport offers an important window into how China's Belt and Road Initiative is evolving and what it can still bring to developing countries," writes Jean-Marc F. Blanchard. Read more.
