Globalisation Chinese-style

The Forum was attended by 29 heads of state along with representatives from many countries, including Thailand, which sent five ministers and a permanent secretary. I was among private sector representatives who joined, along with the President of Bangkok Bank who spoke at the Forum, and I was impressed with the grandeur, efficient management and administration of the event.
To strengthen China’s commitment to the project, President Xi Jinping announced additional funding of over US$14 billion  for the Silk Road Fund and $55 billion from the China Development Bank and the Export and Import Bank of China. This comes on top of existing commitments of hundreds of billions of dollars. 
China also offered to support training, research, and education of people in the Belt and Road region in China, which will further add to its influence.
These latest announcements emphasise the Belt and Road’s status as the most ambitious project of the 21st century in terms of geographic coverage, scope and scale. First presented in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a way to revive the ancient silk and maritime trading routes linking China with other parts of Asia, Europe and Africa, it has steadily gained momentum and today more than 100 countries participate in some way. A number of projects have already begun in Pakistan, Mongolia, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia and Thailand, including high-speed railways, bridges, ports, industrial parks, oil pipelines and power grids.
Although the building of infrastructure is a major component of the Belt and Road, the initiative goes well beyond this. 
The joint communique signed last week by 30 leaders (including Xi Jinping) carried commitments to support free and inclusive trade; to cooperate on innovation, research, the environment, telecommunications, investment and finance; to honour agreements such as the UN Charter and the Paris Agreement on climate change; and to support regional development frameworks such as the Asean Community Vision 2025. 
In short, the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative has been broadened to cover almost all aspects of international diplomacy and encompass the whole globe, including the Americas. 
Given the recent rise in anti-globalism sentiment, China’s efforts to present a softer, more inclusive form of globalism may be coming at just the right time.