How China Is Challenging the West With Its Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure Plan
A podcast series on what China has achieved with its ambitious, decadelong Belt and Road initiative and the dilemma the U.S. faces in trying to respond
In great-power rivalries, it matters who’s on your side.
For years, Washington has been either indifferent or inconsistent in its dealings with swaths of the globe. At times it has actively tested the patience of its longtime partners.
China, meanwhile, has been building influence. Since 2013, its massive Belt and Road infrastructure program has poured more than $1 trillion into projects from mines and highways to “smart cities” in some 150 countries.
So what did Beijing get in return? And what is the U.S. doing about it? The WSJ’s What’s News team set out to answer those questions in a three-part podcast series called “Building Influence: China’s Global Infrastructure Bet.”
Through interviews with WSJ reporters and editors with years of experience covering China, plus experts from around the world, you will hear how China succeeded in planting its flag around the world and accumulating influence, even in regions long considered America’s backyard.
You will then hear how Beijing has kept the program afloat despite an economic downturn and early missteps, and doubled down on its goals. And finally, we will look at what this all means for the U.S. and the West, as leaders consider whether, and how, they can compete.