EU Unveils Global Gateway To Rival China’s Belt And Road
EU Unveils Global Gateway To Rival China’s Belt And Road
By RFE/RL staff – Oct 28, 2023, 2:00 PM CDT
The EU’s Global Gateway program, initiated by Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen, targets renewable energy, digital transitions, and sustainability in global infrastructure projects.
While the EU avoids directly comparing the initiative to China’s BRI, it emphasizes elements such as transparency and environmental sustainability, areas of criticism for Beijing’s project.
Some EU diplomats express concerns about the program’s implementation, potential overlaps with existing initiatives, and the level of political representation at the Global Gateway summit.
The European Union has announced a raft of multimillion dollar deals at a forum for its Global Gateway program, the bloc’s new infrastructure partnership plan that’s seen as an alternative to China’s worldwide Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The first Global Gateway Forum kicked off in Brussels on October 25 and featured 90 top government representatives from more than 20 countries, including 40 leaders and ministers mostly from across the Global South.
The 27-country EU announced that Global Gateway already had 66 billion euros ($69.6 billion) in deals at the opening of the summit and proceeded to ink an additional 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) worth of new agreements with governments across Europe, Asia, and Africa during the multiday gathering to support projects related to critical raw minerals, green energy, and transport corridors.
In her opening speech, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed to pursue high-quality investments, saying that Global Gateway was a “better choice” for financing and building clean infrastructure.
“Global Gateway is about giving countries a choice, and a better choice,” she said, adding that other investment options often come at a “high price” for the environment, workers’ rights, and sovereignty.
Launched in late 2021 and championed by von der Leyen, Global Gateway has earmarked 300 billion euros ($316 million) in a bid to streamline the EU’s investment and development cooperation across the globe. Officials say the program will prioritize projects focused on renewable energy, digital transitions, and sustainability as Brussels looks to mobilize investment from member states and the private sector.
