Xi pledges "green and sustainable" Belt and Road initiative

China’s President Xi Jinping tried to ease concerns at the Belt and Road project summit in Beijing and pledged it would be a “green and sustainable” initiative.

Speaking at the forum, Xi vowed to ensure transparency and the "fiscal sustainability" of all projects as host countries were concerned about the debts the Belt and Road programme would leave them saddled with, as well as China’s push for geopolitical influence.

Xi said at the summit that the aim of the infrastructure programme was "to enhance connectivity and practical cooperation” and “delivering win-win outcomes and common development".

"Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption," he said.

"We also need to ensure the commercial and fiscal sustainability of all projects so that they will achieve the intended goals as planned.”

He added that the project must be green and “protect the common home we live in”.

“We must adhere to the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanliness,” he said.

The programme is expected be a $1tn investment in total and has already funded trains, roads and ports around the world.

The summit comes right before fresh trade talks between the US and China resume next week and Xi also sought to address some of the key points under dispute.

He said China would boost efforts to secure intellectual property protection, increase imports of goods and services and ensure a fair trading environment for firms, while also stressing the need for equitable treatment.

"We will overhaul and abolish unjustified regulations, subsidies and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market," Mr Xi said.

"We hope that other countries will also create an enabling environment of investment, treat Chinese enterprises, students and scholars as equals, and provide a fair and friendly environment for them to engage in normal international exchanges and cooperation."