Biden's G-7 Infrastructure Plan to Counter China
[with Roie Yellinek] GULF STATES INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON
At the June G-7 summit, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. announced the Build Back Better World partnership, a global infrastructure investment initiative aiming to compete with China. Will the B3W provide an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative? And will it make much of a difference in and for the Middle East, especially the Gulf Arab countries that have long been close to the United States and have growing ties with China?
Because of the character of the B3W, the nature of projects it is likely to fund, and the types of recipients that will take part, the initiative, at least in the short term, is not likely to measure up as a choice-forcing alternative to what the Chinese offer with the BRI. The region has become increasingly multipolar, enabling states to pick and choose among the offerings presented by external powers. The range of options therefore makes it difficult for the United States to pressure regional parties to choose sides.
Biden proposed the B3W initiative for the United States and its G-7 partners. The White House released a communique ahead of the G-7 summit setting out the goals, in particular the plan to help low- and middle-income countries access finance and development assistance to help construct necessary infrastructure projects. In this respect, the B3W proposal echoes China’s BRI and its efforts to increase world connectivity. For now, the details are vague regarding the financing and scope of the B3W, but it is intended to be global in scale and will be driven both by partnerships among the United States and its allies, as well as common values, standards, and a concern for climate change.
