EU's focus on cooperation not conflict

Many European politicians have long been skeptical about the Belt and Road Initiative, but they might be more willing to change their minds after reading a report released on Tuesday that urges the European Union to copy China's Belt and Road Initiative to better channel the billions of euros it sends as aid each year to Africa.

The report by a group led by former senior EU official and economist Thomas Wieser calls for the establishment of a "European Climate and Sustainable Development Bank" to consolidate the EU's development funding activities.

Major Western news media have described it as emulating China's Belt and Road Initiative rather than countering it as they usually do when covering major moves by the EU relating to China.