BRI strives to promote economic development of all participating countries: expert

CAIRO -- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) seeks to promote economic growth for all participating countries with real support from China, an Egyptian expert has said.

"The initiative is good for all as it aims primarily to achieve sustainable development for involved countries, strengthen their economies and enhance cooperation in all fields," Diaa Helmy, secretary general of the Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, told Xinhua.

In this context, he said, China has invested huge funds, technologies and human resources into developing countries for the sake of their development and joint cooperation.

"The initiative seeks to achieve economic growth and development for all participating countries with real, honorable and responsible support from China," the expert said, adding that China honors its responsibility as a member of the international community through cooperation and fair economic exchanges.

Helmy pointed out that BRI is an economic development initiative by all standards, opposing allegations that attempt to distort and undermine the initiative.

Recently, some think tanks claimed that the BRI aims to exploit developing countries, impose China's influence on African countries in particular, and reduce its pollution by transferring high carbon-emission industries to African countries.

"All are false claims that reflect the bad faith of the promoters of these allegations," the expert noted, adding that such allegations were concocted to hamper cooperation between China and other countries.

Helmy stressed that China is keen to innovate and provide the world with advanced modern technology, and would not transfer polluting industries.

"The claim that the initiative focuses primarily on infrastructure is also not accurate," the expert said, adding that the initiative eyes the needs of participating countries, some of which have long suffered from weak infrastructure.

Taking African countries as an example, he said China's help for them to build infrastructure within the BRI frameworkf is fully respectful to their needs and mutually beneficial.

Helmy also refuted the allegation that BRI does not include high-tech cooperation, saying that in fact, China has offered participating countries advanced technologies and dispatched experts to provide technical support and training to the locals, so as to promote the localization of high-tech technologies.

"The industrial parks promoted by the initiative have provided a large number of local jobs," he emphasized.

Helmy concluded that BRI is in the interests of all parties involved. With a sincere and responsible attitude to the international community, China has built an equal and mutually beneficial economic cooperation platform and promoted the development of all relevant economies.

"We can say that BRI is an initiative that benefits all participating countries in the 21st century," Helmy said.