Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's strategy is on engaging with countries involved in the Belt and Road initiative.

China is an important source of investment for many developing countries. Chinese investment, including under its Belt and Road Initiative, can help fill the global infrastructure gap. However, we recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, including on debt sustainability and linkages to increasing China's economic and political influence. We will work with others to encourage China to make contributions to economic development that are transparent and push back against Chinese attempts to coerce or create dependencies when needed. Through British Investment Partnerships, we help build transparent economic partnerships, enabling high quality investment into developing countries and helping to bridge investment and infrastructure gaps.