Xi Jinping delivered the keynote address at the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) on April 25, 2019. Compared with the inaugural 2017 event, Xi’ Jinpings speech was shorter and contained fewer concrete proposals. He seems to have focused more on deflecting criticism and doubts about the multibillion-dollar initiative. The official Chinese media, however, was candid in acknowledging that the initiative has been mired in controversies since its launch in 2013, but added that every policy and initiative has its flaws. In his speech, Xi Jinping: (i) promised that all participants would benefit, not just China – vowing to get rid of unfair subsidies for Chinese companies. (ii) promised to address corruption – proclaiming “zero tolerance” for corruption and announcing the “Clean Silk Road Beijing Initiative.” and (iii) promised that BRI projects will be environmentally sustainable. To this end, Beijing has formulated the “One Belt, One Road Green Investment Principles.”
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