Here are the key leaders joining the Belt and Road forum and their wish lists to Beijing
China is hosting its third international forum centered around President Xi Jinping’s signature policy, the Belt and Road Initiative, which over the past 10 years has built infrastructure across continents, burdening some smaller countries with debt
BEIJING — China is hosting its third international forum centered around President Xi Jinping’s signature policy, the Belt and Road Initiative, which over the past 10 years has built infrastructure across continents, burdening some smaller countries with debt.
The forum brings a flurry of diplomacy to Beijing, including at least 20 heads of state and government, mostly hailing from developing markets in Southeast and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Here are some key leaders visiting Beijing and an overview of their countries’ involvement in the Belt and Road projects.
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing on Tuesday, on his first trip outside the former Soviet Union since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for him in March over his alleged involvement in the mass abduction of children from Ukraine.
Putin’s visit underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for Moscow amid the isolation brought by its war in Ukraine. In an interview with Chinese state media ahead of his visit, Putin described BRI projects – which the U.S. has called a “debt trap” for smaller countries – as China’s “desire for cooperation” in the global arena.
Russia has been aiming to redirect trade toward Asia after being shut out by the European Union over its Ukraine war. China-Russia trade soared 30% in the first half of the year and is expected to exceed $200 billion this year, according to the Russian
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