BRI offers hope, stability amid global uncertainties, says expert

KUALA LUMPUR -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) offers hope of a renewed economic recovery despite global uncertainties, a Malaysian observer has said.

This is being achieved while giving participating countries full autonomy to act, in contrast with Western-led projects that force countries into bloc confrontation, Lee Pei May, a political expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"BRI participating countries have full agency to decide what kind of projects they wish to undertake that would bring the most benefit to their citizens ... and they (China) do not dictate terms to BRI partners," she said.

Contrary to the inclusive nature of the BRI, Lee said the United States, in particular, has a history of using economic assistance as leverage over other countries.

The expert said such approach directly led to global division, ultimately leading to bloc confrontation during the Cold War. The United States has continued this approach to the present day, using economic coercion and sanctions as warfare.

Instead of dividing nations, Lee said, the BRI has been critical in helping connect countries, particularly developing ones, by building up their infrastructure in ways they would not be able to on their own.

"The BRI has provided massive assistance, mainly to developing countries, for infrastructure development, which ... has been denied to them for many decades due to insufficient capital," she said.

Speaking of the successful ongoing construction of the East Coast Rail Link, Malaysia's mega rail project being built by China Communications Construction Company, Lee called it a shining example of the spirit of the BRI.

The project will bring substantial economic benefits to the country by helping the rural east coast increase connectivity and providing jobs, she said.

Lee said that the BRI will continue to counter global instability and uncertainty by building genuine connections through infrastructure and people-to-people connections.

"By emphasizing cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions, the BRI helps with economic diversification, as the recipient countries are able to decide on their development path," she said. "What the BRI offers the world is the testament that prosperity could be achieved by various countries with even their varying national conditions."