A two-day global meeting, considered the “most important diplomatic event” of the year for China, ended on Wednesday (18), with China itself highlighting its outsized role in world development – and its alternative vision to that of the United States. United.
More than 20 leaders and more than a hundred delegations, mostly from the Global South, met for a packed agenda of forums and bilateral meetings on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative – the global infrastructure project that consolidated China as a major international player since its launch a decade ago.
The meeting – at which Russian President Vladimir Putin was the guest of honor – also provided a window into Xi’s vision of a world absent the norms and values promoted by liberal democracies, which excluded Putin after the invasion of Ukraine.
The theme of the war in the Middle East also hovered over the event, Israel’s war against Hamas militants threatens to involve the region in a wider conflict, in which China, Russia and the USA would all participate.
Here are the key takeaways from China’s Belt and Road Forum.
There is no doubt about the prominence for Putin
The meeting left no doubt as to who was the most important world leader present in the eyes of China’s Xi.
At a lavish welcome banquet in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, golden doors opened to reveal Xi and Putin entering the room side by side, with the other leaders and their spouses close behind.
Putin was the first among several visiting leaders to deliver remarks at the forum’s opening ceremony on Wednesday (18). After three hours of bilateral meetings with Xi that day, the Russian leader highlighted his close alignment with China.
The two countries share “common threats”, which reinforce “Russian-Chinese interaction”, Putin told journalists before leaving Beijing, after saying that he and Xi had discussed “in detail” the “situation” both in the Middle East like in Ukraine.
China and Russia have publicly called for a ceasefire in the growing crisis in Gaza, and neither has explicitly condemned the radical Islamic group Hamas for the attack on Israel that sparked the conflict – in stark contrast to the expression of support for Israel by leaders of throughout Europe and the USA.
The meeting between Xi and Putin in Beijing coincided with the arrival of US President Joe Biden in Israel, in a strong demonstration of support for the country and American diplomatic strength to expedite humanitarian aid.
In his meeting with Putin, Xi hailed the China-Russia partnership as “a long-term commitment,” highlighting “enduring good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation,” and alluded to the 4.3-kilometer shared border and the countries’ mutual goals. . Both see the other as a critical partner in rolling back what they consider to be a US-led world order that opposes them.
Clear divisions between the main world powers
Xi’s show of solidarity with Putin at the Belt and Road Forum also highlighted the deepening divide between the world’s major powers.
The event was attended by 24 leaders – far fewer than the 37 who traveled to the previous Belt and Road Forum four years ago.
Among the main dignitaries who did not attend this year’s event were those from European countries. In 2019, then-Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte participated, as did leaders from Greece, Austria, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
Since then, skepticism about China’s global ambitions has grown in Europe, in particular about China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia. Italy, the only G7 member to join the Belt and Road Initiative, is considering exiting the project when its membership expires next year.
Among the leaders who attended: Viktor Orban, from Hungary, the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Joko Widodo, from Indonesia, and others from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Taliban – which is not widely recognized as the government of Afghanistan – also sent a delegation.
In their speeches, many leaders expressed their hopes of stimulating much-needed sustainable development in their countries, while some also called for a more multilateral and cooperative world.
Although he did not mention the United States by name, Xi made apparent attacks on what he sees as an effort by the United States to stay on top and stifle China’s rise.
“Seeing the development of others as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not improve one’s own life or accelerate development,” he warned in his opening speech.
The shadow of the Middle East war
Israel’s war hung over the meeting, which began with news of the devastating explosion at a Gaza hospital that left hundreds of Palestinians dead, many who used the hospital as a shelter from Israeli airstrikes.
But mention of the situation was practically absent from the forum. Neither leader raised the issue at the opening ceremony.
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), Antônio Guterres, however, said he could not fail to mention the situation during his speech at the opening ceremony, in which he demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Palestinian grievances after five decades of occupation, however serious, “cannot justify the acts of terror against civilians committed by Hamas on October 7, [que] I immediately condemned it,” said Guterres. “But these events cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
This Thursday, Xi made his first public statement on the conflict since Hamas launched its surprise attack on October 7.
In a meeting with Egypt’s representative at the forum, the Chinese leader called for a ceasefire and an end to the war “as soon as possible”, supporting the two-state solution that would establish an independent Palestinian state.
Xi also said China is willing to strengthen coordination with Egypt and other Arab countries to “promote a quick, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue,” according to state broadcaster CCTV. China did not name Hamas in its statements.
Beijing said on Sunday it would send its special Middle East envoy, Zhai Jun, to the region in the coming days.
China emphasizes “high-quality” global development
The forum also looked ahead to the next chapter of the Belt and Road Initiative, which enters its second decade as China’s economic growth slows and borrowing costs rise around the world.
The program, which Beijing says has mobilized around $1 billion in funding, has played a substantial role in helping developing nations build roads, bridges, ports and railways – but has faced accusations of saddling countries with too much debt and of having negative environmental impacts.
Chinese officials welcomed what they saw as efforts to move the initiative into a new phase of “high-quality” development and focused on separate forums on the digital economy and how to promote sustainable “green development.”
Questions also arose over whether China would continue to finance major infrastructure projects, as data also shows a significant decline in such financing in recent years.
But when asked at a closing press conference about infrastructure financing programs proposed by other nations like the US in recent years, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seemed to suggest that Beijing would continue to invest in this space.
“Obviously, competition should not mean working against each other, but improving each other,” he said, while praising China’s number of global development projects.
“Why don’t we look at the international record, in terms of who can build the most roads, railways and bridges for developing countries, and who can build the most schools, hospitals and stadiums for people in developing countries?” he said. “We have the confidence and the ability.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
