Europe opposes China's 'Belt and Road'

(Baonghean.vn) - On May 15, a diplomatic official said that many European countries refused to sign a trade document at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation taking place in Beijing. This is considered an obstacle to Beijing's efforts to gain strong support for this initiative proposed by China.

Among the European Union (EU) member states opposing the document are France, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Portugal and the UK.

China wants its Belt and Road Initiative to compete with the G20. Photo: AP

The diplomat said all European countries participating in the forum had decided to reject the document, saying it did not adequately address the continent's concerns around transparency in public procurement, as well as social and environmental standards.

Earlier, on May 14, German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said: “For us and our companies, transparency in the investment call for projects in the Belt and Road Initiative is very important. In particular, there should be no discrimination and international standards must be followed. I think there is still room for improvement in this area.”

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes China's Belt and Road Initiative. Photo: AFP

Meanwhile, on the same day, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte praised China for promoting the “Belt and Road Initiative”, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “strong and new” commitment would create new opportunities for the Southeast Asian country as well as for the region.

In its statement, the Philippine Government also shared the view that a peaceful environment is necessary to achieve development goals./.

Lan Ha

(According to AFP, THX)