China’s ambassador in Ottawa says he wants Canadian business to collaborate with Beijing on its Belt and Road Initiative, amid scrutiny from Western governments.
Ambassador Cong Peiwu says Canada can use the initiative to reduce global carbon emissions and fight poverty.
He rejects warnings by Canada’s peers that the plan allows Beijing to coerce developing states.
Here’s a look at what China is proposing and why some are raising the alarm.
What is Belt and Road?
The Belt and Road Initiative is a massive infrastructure plan that aims to connect Asia, Europe and Africa through a series of railways, ports, bridges and coal plants, some of which follow trade routes used along the ancient Silk Road.
It’s expanded even further, with projects that include a major highway in Jamaica and power plants in Bolivia.
Beijing launched the initiative a decade…
