Right time for EU to transform words into action

Pascale Delcomminette, CEO of Belgium's Walloon Export and Foreign Investment Agency, said in a recent interview that an added advantage of her country's competitiveness is the ability to attract foreign investment. "We are a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank," she said with pride in her voice ahead of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Germany and Belgium from Wednesday to Friday, while highlighting her country' gateway position, mature market, openness and other merits.

While almost all Western European countries followed the United Kingdom in early 2015 in applying to become the founding members of the China-proposed AIIB, Belgium chose not to; it became a member of the new multilateral financial vehicle only in 2017.

Delcomminette wisely cited the AIIB membership as part of Belgium's competitiveness.