Leaders from 130 countries are arriving in Beijing for the summit as the infrastructure plan marks its 10th anniversary.
As world leaders descend on China on Monday for the Belt and Road Forum, Beijing will be eager to showcase its growing influence and position itself as a leader of developing nations, analysts said.
The forum – which marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative – will be particularly important for President Xi Jinping’s standing in the world, they also suggested.
Representatives from some 130 countries and 30 global organisations are expected to attend the two-day summit in Beijing, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend, in a rare overseas trip.
A CEO summit will be held on Tuesday, before Wednesday’s official opening and a further series of high-level forums and discussions. Some 800 chief executives attended the CEO’s gathering at the third belt and road forum in 2019.
Wang Fei-Ling, international affairs professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the forum was “important” to Xi’s prestige, as the belt and road plan had been his “personal pet project and a major symbol of his leadership and vision”.
“I think Beijing hopes to continue the momentum of the [initiative] through the photo-ops and statements, so as to refresh the image of solidarity among participants,” Wang said.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative regains momentum
As part of its “great power diplomacy”, China would also seek to showcase its influence on the world stage and drum up support as its strategic competition with the United States deepened, he said.
Xi launched the belt and road infrastructure strategy in 2013, with the ambitious aim of boosting China’s trade and connectivity with the world through land and maritime routes based on the ancient Silk Road.
According to the Chinese government, Beijing has signed belt and road deals with more than 150 countries over the past 10 years, with projects ranging from railway infrastructure to ports.
