Washington, Sep 26 (UNI) The US State department in a statement has highlighted China's Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) and China's infrastructure projects along the Mekong river to be very harmful to the environment.
In a statement, the State Department pointed out China as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, the largest source of marine debris, the worst perpetrators of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and the world’s largest consumer of trafficked wildlife and timber products.
It said that China through its Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) is leading nations away from sustainable development "...implementation of BRI lacks clear environmental guidelines, safety standards, and worker protections. Many BRI-funded projects do not meet international standards, leaving countries to deal with the harmful consequences long after a project is completed. Environmental safeguards depend on the laws of host countries, and Beijing is leading nations away from developing their economies sustainably."