Heine Comments on U.S./G7 Counter to China’s BRI
Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, was interviewed for a Vox article in which he discusses China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), and how these policies play into the needs of the Global South.
The article, titled “Biden’s latest global infrastructure plan is all about competing with China. That’s a problem,” discusses how the United States and G7 are attempting to counteract Chinese influences via BRI projects, the effectiveness of their strategies, and how this competition affects developing countries in need of foreign direct investment. According to Heine, China has filled a long-needed gap in foreign infrastructure investments in the Global South, and while the PGII has lofty ambitions, the real money behind the initiative is far less than what was promised by President Joe Biden. This in part is because the U.S. does not see the Global South as a priority. President Biden promised billions in investments to Central America and has yet to deliver on that campaign promise; meanwhile, the U.S. has given over $50 billion to aid Ukraine in what Heine calls “a strong obsession with Europe and everything across the Atlantic.” In the end, the article notes that the Global South is increasingly pursuing a strategy of what Heine has termed “active non-alignment” choosing to focus on their own economic growth and development rather than siding with one of the competing superpowers.
The full article can be read on Vox‘s website.
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007) and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. Read more about Ambassador Heine on his faculty profile.