China’s Belt and Road Initiative will keep testing the West

By The Economist

In many ways the bri has lived up to the hype. More than 150 countries, accounting for almost 75% of the world’s population and more than half of its gdp, have signed on to the scheme. China has doled out hundreds of billions of dollars in loans and grants for railways, roads and other infrastructure that might otherwise have gone unfunded. Its projects have spanned the globe, from Brazil to Kenya to Laos. Over the past decade China has become the largest creditor and a crucial source of investment in many developing countries. Much of this has been good: many countries badly need better roads.