Page 76 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021 (Crest)

China values the Commonwealth.
Does the UK?
Dr Anisa Heritage, Senior Lecturer, Department of Defence and International Affairs, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
The modern Commonwealth organisation was established in 1949 as a loose-knit, voluntary association whose current mem- bership stands at fifty-four states. As a diverse network spanning five regions, the organisation’s combined population is 2.4 billion, representing 40% of the global workforce and half of the top 20 global emerging cities. With fast-growing economies, a shared history (with the exception of Rwanda and Mozambique) and a common language, the network of Commonwealth states offers a valuable platform to advance the UK’s global strategic interests.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
The UK is not alone. China has spent the last decade cultivating expanded economic and diplomatic ties with individual Commonwealth countries primarily through its Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI). In the past three years, this inter- est has steadily expanded to include security engagement.
Since 2013, President Xi’s signature BRI project has involved dispensing significant amounts of Chinese financial investment into much-needed physical infrastructure projects to support eco- nomic development globally. Chinese loans, aid and other financial assistance are used to con- struct airports, roads, railways and government facilities and its investment has been especially directed towards small and developing states in need of infrastructure investment.
The BRI has evolved to include a Digital Silk Route (DSR), providing assistance for improving telecommunications networks, AI capabilities, e-commerce platforms and surveillance technol-
©Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/commonwealth-day-statement
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