US concern over China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative

Washington: US lawmakers have expressed concern over the ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative of China. Congressman Ted Yoho, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and Pacific, has said, “Though China has promoted it as generous win-win assistance to fellow developing nations, OBOR seems motivated primarily by self-interest.”

Roy Kamphausen, Senior V-P for Research at National Bureau of Asian Research, said “From the security angle, in the near-term, OBOE has significant potential to increase China’s military footprint in Central Asia region and beyond to secure its periphery, a central goal of the Chinese leadership.” He said, “At a strategic level, it reflects Beijing’s regional and global ambitions.”

Jonathan N. Stivers, a Commissioner of the US-China Economic Security Review Commission and former Assistant Administrator to USAID, noted that China was expanding its presence on the world stage through “both coercion and a charm offensive”, thereby creating pockets of influence, leverage and control. “It is time for a new US economic and development strategy for the Asia-Pacific region in order to effectively compete with China’s growing influence and investment,” he said.