Participants attend a Potential Joint-Funding Application Workshop at the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Interdisciplinary Conference in Lancaster, Britain, on Sept. 23, 2025. (Xinhua)
Having studied China's overseas engagement for nearly two decades, Giles Mohan, professor of international development at the Open University, said many Western narratives about the BRI are misleading.
by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng
LONDON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been offering Africa and Europe practical opportunities for development rather than "traps," said Giles Mohan, professor of international development at the Open University.
Mohan, who leads a European Research Council project on Chinese infrastructure investment in Europe, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday while attending the Fifth Belt and Road Initiative Interdisciplinary Conference, hosted by the Lancaster University Confucius Institute in northwest Britain.
Having studied China's overseas engagement for nearly two decades, Mohan said many Western narratives about the BRI are misleading. "There are partial and sometimes downright wrong interpretations of what the BRI is about," he told Xinhua. "We need to look at how projects actually play out on the ground."
Mohan, who began his China-related research in Africa in the early 2000s, rejected claims of so-called "debt trap diplomacy." At the time, he recalled, there were warnings that China sought to "take over" African oil. "When we actually looked at the evidence, it wasn't true," he said.
In Africa, projects backed by Chinese banks were often successful when local governments had done a good job of identifying their development priorities, he said.
Mohan believes that in Europe, it is also misguided to hastily regard Chinese investment as a so-called "security threat." Fortunately, the region's approach to China is becoming more pragmatic.
After the global financial crisis, Chinese investment was welcomed, but later debates became more cautious. Now, he said, "people are realizing that actually we do need China, and China needs us. It will be a more realistic relationship -- more critical evaluation of projects, but not a wholesale rejection."
This photo taken on March 20, 2025 shows a construction site of the second phase of the Lower Nzoia Irrigation project in Siaya County, western Kenya. (STECOL/Handout via Xinhua)
For Mohan, Western portrayals of China's overseas engagement often serve domestic agendas. "The 'China threat' narrative is a way of justifying industrial policy in the United States and Europe, measures like the Inflation Reduction Act or the CHIPS Act," he said. "It's less about China and more about stimulating their own struggling sectors."
Yet, China's strengths in renewable energy and electric vehicles make it a key partner in Europe's climate goals, Mohan said. "If you want to have a green transition in Europe and hit your climate targets, you can't do that without China."
Chinese companies have already played major roles in wind energy and rare earth supply chains, and some have set up manufacturing operations in Europe. These moves not only strengthen supply but also create local jobs, Mohan said.
He also noted China's growing influence in setting global standards. "If you become the standard setter for a particular technology, then globally everybody has to conform," he said.
Mohan also emphasized that successful projects are those embedded in local communities. In Britain, Chinese firms have invested in the Manchester Airport and city-center redevelopment, building on decades of ties between Manchester and Chinese partners.
"It's built on a very long-standing relationship," he said, noting that platforms like the Manchester-China Forum allow local stakeholders to help shape projects.
In Greece, COSCO's management of Piraeus Port has raised productivity and throughput. While early concerns focused on limited community engagement, Mohan said the company has improved.
"What they seem to be doing better now is showing a human face, sponsoring football teams, celebrating local festivals, and engaging more in the community," he added.
Mohan also underlined the role of city-level diplomacy and education in sustaining cooperation. Sister-city ties have grown from school exchanges into major technology and investment partnerships.
"Cultural understanding is really important," he said, pointing to the impact of Chinese students in Manchester and the global reach of their football clubs in shaping mutual perceptions.
Mohan argued that BRI projects should be judged on outcomes rather than slogans. Ports, airports and wind farms, he said, show how cooperation can meet urgent needs.
"Local areas, whether in Europe or Africa, are trying to plug into production and trade networks in virtuous ways," he explained, adding that the BRI can be seen as a series of corridors and relationships across space, rather than a single geopolitical strategy.
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