Starting Monday, China is hosting representatives of 130 countries for a summit marking the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum, Beijing's global international infrastructure scheme, which is seen as a key pillar of President Xi Jinping's efforts to extend China's international reach. However, massive loans from Beijing that helped fund these projects have been criticized for saddling some poorer countries with debt. Lavrov and Wang discussed resolving the Ukraine war with "political and diplomatic methods," and also talked about the growing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. Others leaders from Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East will also attend the Belt and Road Forum, whose main events are on Wednesday. On Monday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe also arrived in Beijing.

Source: Ethiopian News October 16, 2023 12:31 UTC