Summary US pulls citing concerns about financing practices for BRI
BEIJING (Reuters) - China s foreign ministry defended the Belt and Road project on Wednesday saying it is an "open, inclusive and transparent initiative."
Speaking at a regular news conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang s comments came after the U.S. State Department said the United States will not send high-level officials to attend China s second Belt and Road summit in Beijing this month, citing concerns about financing practices for the initiative.
A person familiar with the matter said Washington was considering sending a lower-level staffer from the U.S. embassy to observe and take notes on the conference but not to participate, though a final decision has not yet been made.
President Xi Jinping s Belt and Road Initiative has proven controversial in many Western capitals, particularly Washington, which views it as a means to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt through non-transparent projects.
