BEIJING/BRUSSELS ¨C China is struggling to ease worries about President Xi Jinping¡¯s signature plan to build a new Silk Road as it readies for a major summit in late April, especially among Western nations wary about debt, transparency and Chinese influence.
While China gained a major victory by convincing Italy to become the first Group of Seven nation to formally sign on to the plan last month during Xi¡¯s visit to Rome, others in the West have been less keen to jump onboard, though many have kept an open mind.
The ¡°Belt and Road¡± initiative, as it is formally called, is aimed at building a vast network of infrastructure connecting China to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and beyond, much like the ancient Silk Road.
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