Washington's investment in Indo-Pacific won't cripple Belt and Road
2018-08-01 12:05:40 source：Global Times
July 31, 2018
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $113 million in new US investments in technology, energy and infrastructure for the Indo-Pacific region Monday. "These funds represent just a down payment on a new era in US economic commitment to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Pompeo said. He added that in referring to an "open" Indo-Pacific region, the US means all nations must enjoy "open access to sea and airways" and the US has never and will never seek domination in the region.
Delivered at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce, Pompeo's remarks were generally interpreted by Western media as targeting China. The secretary of state also said in an interview the same day that any potential IMF bailout for Pakistan should not be used to pay off Chinese loans, leading to more speculation that Washington is boycotting China's Belt and Road initiative.
Washington may hope to disrupt the Belt and Road initiative, but it is highly unlikely the US' $113 million investment initiative will collide with the Belt and Road initiative. The Indo-Pacific region is too big and many Western elites have misunderstood the nature of the Belt and Road initiative, believing it is a geopolitical strategy that should be challenged. Given the backward infrastructure of the Indo-Pacific region, development plans, no matter how many, are far from enough to meet its needs. Different plans should not be exclusive to each other. The Belt and Road initiative is an open development plan. It's not about competition, but a platform for cooperation.
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