China refutes ‘infuence’ charges in US report on Belt and Road

April 19, 2018

BEIJING – China’s State newsagency, Xinhua, has on refuted a U.S. research group report on the Belt and Road Initiative, reiterating that the initiative aims to achieve win-win economic co-operation.

It was referring to an Associated Press report which said that, after analysing 15 Chinese-funded port projects, the group had concluded that the projects were intended to expand China's "political influence and military presence".

 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed at a daily press briefing that the Belt and Road Initiative was essentially about economic co-operation, and the core concept of the initiative was to promote common development by advancing connectivity in infrastructure and other fields.

 

"China has no geopolitical calculations, seeks no exclusionary blocs and imposes no business deals on others," she said, adding that Belt and Road was a “mutually beneficial and win-win initiative" that would allow other countries to share opportunities from China's development and help solve development problems facing the world.  www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).