Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at a news conference at the end of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Monday. The "Belt and Road'' project is China's biggest foreign initiative to date as Beijing looks for global stature to match its economic success. Dozens of "Belt and Road'' projects including railways and power plants have been launched since Xi unveiled the initiative in 2013. The Chinese leader's declaration of plans to pursue cooperation in areas well beyond trade could increase potential obstacles. But other Asian governments are uneasy about Beijing's strategic ambitions, especially after it built artificial islands and military bases in the South China Sea to enforce its claim to most of the region.

Source: Bangkok Post May 15, 2017 13:52 UTC