ASPI REPORT: BRI BENEFITS PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) will help meet Asian countries' urgent need for infrastructure investment, support local economic growth and improve social well-being,according to a newly-released Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) report.

The report, titled “Navigating the Belt and Road Initiative,” identifies the benefits the BRI could bring to countries participating in related projects and provides detailed policy recommendations.

While the dynamic economies of Asia consistently drive global growth, widespread recognition remains that a shortfall in infrastructure investment could dampen the region's prospects, the report said.It cited the Asian Development Bank's finding that the region is spending only half of what is needed to maintain current growth and address pressing problems such as climate change, leaving an infrastructure financing gap of over US$800 billion a year.

The BRI has raised hopes that China would begin to fill that gap as it invests an estimated 1 trillion dollars in a patchwork of projects across more than 125 countries, the report noted.

The report illustrated that infrastructure investment on the scale offered by China is clearly welcomed in the developing world.

“Officials in developing countries are realizing that BRI projects are proposed, financed, and built far more quickly and with fewer demands on host governments than projects financed by international development banks or donor countries,” it revealed.

The report based its research and analysis on five premises.

The BRI can help meet the immense demand for infrastructure development in Asia, which far exceeds what multilateral development banks,international donors, and national governments can provide. The initiative is a long-term commitment, according to the report.

It introduced 12 recommended practices covering various stages of a BRI infrastructure project,outlining what implementation of the proposed practice entails and then describing the expected benefits to China and project host countries.

For example, the report recommends establishing a BRI project preparation fund that would award grants and other support to BRI project applicant states, particularly less developed nations with resource and capacity constraints to enable them to conduct or commission needs and feasibility analysis reports.

The benefits of setting up a fund, the report said,are that it would mitigate the host countries' lack of capacity or resources and expertise necessary to evaluate relevant costs, benefits, and the spectrum of environmental, social, and other risks.

The report added that using a fund would inspire projects that align with the countries'development goals and are fiscally sound and sustainable.

It would signal to public and private sector investors that the project is bankable and sustainable, the report added.

Other policy recommendations included developing a BRI FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers)-based “standard contract” with required, recommended, and optional provisions to better protect the legal rights and interests of involved parties and expanding and improving the use of local labor and businesses including through “up-skilling”programs to generate community buy-in for projects and reduce problems and risks.

The report, published in June, was written by ASPI's Daniel R. Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy, and Blake Berger, senior program officer.

Founded in 1956, the ASPI is a think-anddo tank committed to advancing inclusive and effective policymaking for Asia and the world.