G7 countries defy China – launch a global infrastructure plan

It’s not clear how much money the plan, called Build Back Better World (B3W) covers, nor how it will work. But the purpose cannot be missed.

A spokesman for US President Joe Biden told Reuters that B3W should meet a huge investment need globally, but it also relates to the challenge of China, which in recent years has strengthened its influence globally, not least in the Third World.

new silk road

Under the so-called Belt and Road Project, or New Silk Road, China has concluded agreements with more than 100 countries on infrastructure investments such as railway and port construction. The purpose of the G7 declaration seems to be to offer an alternative to Silk Road diplomacy.

The White House spokesperson describes how the United States and other Western countries have not yet been able to demonstrate the benefits of “our values, our standards, and the way we do business.”

For the US, China in particular appears to be an important topic of talks during this weekend’s G7 meeting in the UK. It is said that Joe Biden wants to put more pressure on the country when it comes to the use of forced labor, not least in Xinjiang, where the minority Uyghurs are placed in so-called retraining camps. But Britain’s host and status as a newcomer from the European Union is also getting attention.

‘The European Union is completely united’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appears to be putting pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resolve the issue of Northern Ireland and avoid border tensions with Ireland.

“We want the best possible relationship with the UK. Both sides should implement what we have agreed. EU countries fully agree to this,” she wrote. Twitter.

The meeting continues in Cornwall through Sunday. In addition to government representatives from the world’s seven largest economies (not China), the European Union also participates through, among other things, the Chair of the Commission.