UN Secretary General Guterres Hypes China’s Belt and Road Initiative

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres attended the sixth annual forum, held in Beijing, to honor China’s ambitious multinational infrastructure program known as the Belt and Road Initiative. As described by the World Bank, the Belt and Road Initiative “aims to strengthen infrastructure, trade, and investment links between China and some 65 other countries that account collectively for over 30 percent of global GDP, 62 percent of population, and 75 percent of known energy reserves.” The links, involving networks of ports, rails and roads, include countries in Central, South and Southeast Asia, the Gulf Countries, and North Africa. China is also extending its initiative to Europe, where it has made significant investments in ports.