all around this year, we hope the corona virus will disappear. this lease upon all nation to violence within our society will end and the atmosphere will stay as it is now full of love and joy between every one a message of hope reverting across nations around the world. gillian wolf, al jazeera. ah, hello again. the headlines on al jazeera security forces of use target as they attempt to disperse, protest her in the capital her tomb. thousands have been on the streets to rally against the military takeover and a number of people have been injured. mamma, val has more from parts whom as the day progressed, and particularly after sunset, we have noticed that the protest has begun to wayne and there has been failure

on the part of testers. to cross the bridge is linking to the can central cartoon to both on demand and battery. so that hasn't happened unlike in the previous, on the previous occasion. and that hasn't really reduced the momentum of their protests today. within cartoon itself, central cartoon, there have been 2 or 3 attempt to reach the president of police. thousands try to march more than 4000 flights have been cancelled worldwide. throwing christmas rommel plans into chaos. highly transmissible on the crown variance of the current of virus was effected slight crews of major airlines. at least 13 people have drowned after a boat carrying migrants capsized off of grease and the a g. and see if the 3rd such disaster in greek water is in as many days bringing the combined that's all to 27. the largest and most powerful space telescope ever

built as lawns from south america, scientists. so some james webb telescope will help human better understand stars and galaxies that are over 13000000000 years old. the volcanic eruption on the spanish island of palma, as officially over after more than 3 months of daily explosions. declaration was made following 10 days of low level activity from the cumbria, via volcano for people and, and bob way have been killed after a bus collided with a fuel tank or not crash happen near the eastern city of missouri. in his christmas blessing, their head of the roman catholic church has urged people to talk more to each other . so francis said only dialogue to solve conflicts, whether within families or between nation it through attention to violence and syria, him and ukraine, and elsewhere. then as our, as at the top of the hour on al jazeera next is inside story, ah

and attempts to rival china's belt and road initiative, the you and veils, and major global infrastructure plan. the goal to invest in developing countries and boost trade links with the rest of the world. but why the interest now and can the book competes with aging? this is inside story. ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm how am i heading? has been described as a roadmap for major investments and infrastructure world wise,

the european union's global gateway strategy as seen as a challenge to china's belt and broads initiative. the plan to raise $340000000000.00 to finance infrastructure it before his own transport, health, education, and digital and climate projects. in asia, africa, the middle east and latin america, they, you as china's biggest trading partner in the projects would allow it to promote since geopolitical influence. beijing has extended its own reach during the 8 years since it launched its own initiative, or the belts and roads program was launched in 2013. it's president cd pings signature project to connect china. so the rest of the world aging is investing more than $800000000000.00. and over 13000 projects and 165 countries in return, china gets access to the wrong materials. it needs to few its growth. but critics

say the initiative has pushed many countries deeply into debt. well, the european commission president says the book will be a trusted partner and will provide high quality projects. we want to take a different approach. we want to show that a democratic value driven approach can deliver on the most pressing challenges, we want to show that it can on one hand meets no local needs. but also on the other hand, to tackle the global challenges we have. and thus, in a way also of course benefit the european union. ah, well let's bring in our guests. xena isn't and is the director of the africa program at the carnegie endowment for international peace in washington, d. c. and brussels. we're joined by louisa santos,

the deputy director general at business europe. that's the lobbying group representing businesses in europe. and victor go is the vice president of the center for china and globalization, and he joins us from beijing warm welcome to all of you on this edition. of inside story. let's start in europe, louise the sun. so was your reaction? see the launch of the global gateway. what are your initial impressions? good afternoon, everyone. well, i impression is positive. we see this as a strategic approach from europe and new way of relationship with this main trading partners. but also we did neighbors developing countries. it's also a way of your show that it as a model, an economic model, but also to political motto,

deaths is an alternative to all those that exist that including developed and we can issue. it's also very important for us because it includes, apart from the public finance and the public sector, an important role for the private sector. i mean, the money that we are talking about will come a lot from companies. so companies need also to relating his projects. and from our perspective, it is a very good initiative and wanda was long overdue. let's not forget your piece already. the largest donor in the world, the largest investor. what we are doing now is trying to have a more strategic approach, a more team europe approach, trying to prioritize different initiatives and putting them on their common umbrella, the global gateway, about the perspectives then from team europe, st. bisman. what are your thoughts about this proposal?

it seems that from the business community in europe, it seems to be warm the received. how do you think developing nations are likely to view this potential extra sources of investment? so i think it's a generally a welcome initiatives that finally there can you get in europe more broadly, is now thinking about infrastructure invested in public services in developing countries, as is from the perspective of africa. because for a long time, this has been a major priority for african countries that they were in need. and still, i need all investment in infrastructure and public services to be able to power the economic transformation to convert to the rest of the world to be able to diversify their economies, which are in africa. 8, it has 8 of the walls 15 this diversified economy,

and that of all gas minerals and primary agriculture goes in these the incomes of people. so this is, this is a certainly welcome. but i think there's also a lot of a lot of african countries are kind of in a weighted mood because i know there are, there are 3 things that perhaps a lot of law on looking out for number one. whether this new initiative is going to try to respond african priorities as defined by africans themselves around jobs and infrastructure. but also around very, very, very recently around with nightenback scenes around pharmaceuticals. you know, the european union and, and maybe you can countries have not supported the initiative other wanted organization to have a temporary i q waiver on technology around the 90 bucks in production. but also iraq elicit financial flows,

which actually drain resources from africa up to $90000000.00 per adult. what are the continent receives and development assistance? and what are, you know, on this new initiative is going to actually build on the competitive advantage that europe passed around as measured pharmaceuticals and vaccines little's around technology and knowledge transfer. and perhaps the final thing is that a lot of african countries are waiting to see is whether this initiative response african route is in a way that doesn't force africa to engage in this new world war phenomenon that we see plain out in the rest of the world and but do you think verve the alternative to, to the industry as proposed by the european union and also by the us. the main alternative would be the chinese belt and rude initiative. do you think that's response a to african priorities?

so what is it, what is the very interesting with chinese engagement in africa? ah, we know which kind of accelerates ed for were on the year 2000 and which eventually became subsumed under that builder with initiative of 2013 is that you know, the way china has a new approach. this engagement is that they come way then explicit transaction that they once resources and, and he's at the beginning, it was really around obtaining a natural resources, oil, minerals, or tim by agriculture products to power after china's double digit economic growth at the time. right? so it was usually at the time a very explicit transaction that they wanted. what chinese entities anyways, wanted these resources and an exchange they were willing to invest in, ah, at least some of the priorities that african countries that identified around

infrastructure. and i'll give you some, i'll strike in statistics, you know, which were published at just about a week ago before the start of the, for on china, africa corporation. we just did 2 days ago. so from the year 2000, 22020, over this 20 year period, china helped african countries build more than 30000 kilometers of roads and railway, more than 80 large camp. our facilities funded over 130 medical facilities, et cetera. right? that for, but at the same time, at, sorry to jump in there, but at the same time and, and i don't want to stay on this too long. at the same time, africa is still getting quite a lot in terms of aids, in terms of trades from europe and the united states. and so it is, the figures think cut both ways, but i do want to bring in victor, go who is joining us from beijing or this evening. victor with her that european

business is very keen to just to get involved in the a, the game of for bridging this infrastructure gap. this is something that china has been doing with the belt and rude initiative since 2013 does china welcome this. a competition shall we say, or is china is somewhat intimidated that the no longer the of the lens are that that countries will go to get to get these big infrastructure projects done. well 1st of all, if the global gateway is truly meant for building up connectivity and infrastructure in developing countries, including african countries, then the more the better is not only are come, it's not a competition. it is very much welcomed, not only by china, but by all the receiving countries. however, if you listen to president aah along the layers,

speech about the global gateway there, you need to worry about it because i hope global gateway is not going to be politicized. and used for ideological agenda and the if competition does happen, we all welcome ads and we hope it will be competition on equal trance rather then on political agenda or by politicizing such infrastructure and connectivity. we all know all african centers in particular soccer from colonialism for several 100 years. and when the british colonists left africa infrastructure was in shamble, and many african cultures are not connected with each other. and they need to fly to european capitals for transit back to african capitals. so it is a shame and everyone you do pitching to build up connectivity in africa as well as in other parts of the world. so from the chinese perspective, we're woke up generally investments infrastructure and connectivity. louisa santa

us, a from business, a europe that we have heard there that about china. welcome to the competition, but is weary of the political under tunes of this. do you see political undertones and the global gateway initiative? snow. i think it's clear that the model is different from the chinese model. the global gateway is based on a business is based on transparency. it's based on reciprocity, but definitely maybe be friendship off are not totally in line. we want to china once, but i mean, i think that's and we always been very clear also let's as, as business, we have already infrastructure in place that was billed under the about the globe initiative. i think it doesn't make sense to create parallel initiatives

for when we have already infrastructure there. it makes sense that we create connections. but of course, if we do this and if we do this under the global gateway with european money, we need to do it with european rules. and i think these are a p and rules based, for instance, for sustainable development, the respect of social rights, the respect of our environmental rights of climate change. and if we do, under these conditions, i don't see why we should not cooperate. but he's very clear that these conditions have to be met to make sure that we can call great. and let me come back to the african question. i mean, europe and i repeat, europe is the largest owner and investor in africa and around the world. so we're just trying to use and you too and you instrument to gather all the resources that are already being invested by europe, european companies, and european governments, and try to bring in and a one umbrella with

a common objective. and these objective is to be when, when we don't want these to be only something that serves european industries and interests or on european companies, we want also to cooperate with the local governments and local business. of course it fixed. it was quite interesting when you said there is luisa santos were aimed at bringing together an existing trade in existing projects. how much of this is going to be new money? the headline figure, of course, is $300000000000.00 euros of investments over the next 6 years or so. but how much of this is actually new? but we have new facilities now and most of what will be new will be money brought by actually the private sector and some of the financial institutions

that will be in that will be also associated to, to, to that, to they should. and that's also an important component in the idea will be also to bring very a lot of national projects because we have also development banks at national level that are quite important in some countries. and the idea is also to bring these together. so this is going to be the new part or what we see tons of resources. but i think the final financial envelope will depend a lot on also the viability of the projects. and if the project viable and they make sense from a business point of view, of course, much more money will be gathered from the private sector as well. if they not boost and we've heard the ethos behind the awarding of money for

projects and someone will be very much based on europe's rules on rules of transparency and so on and so forth. where's the incentive for countries to, to pump for the european funding model rather than say, the chinese model which may not have such stringent requirements. so, so this is, this is a very interesting point. and this is why i said, i think a lot of african countries, policy makers and scholars alike they, i know we didn't see more right now because i mean of my, my colleague, louise. this panel mentions that europe. europe is a largest donor, i forgot, which is actually true. i think the thing though, is that, you know, this is why the, the issue of african brightest white important because for a long time, some african leaders and scholars have been saying that were african needs not just

donor funding is not just development assistance. that is good and that is needed, particularly in parts of the continent that i owe him serious, severe crisis. what african countries need is actually meaningful economic engagement. so it is a welcome initiative, the european gateway. and if we can try to make that development assistance that provides even better respond to these priorities around jobs creation around the provision of infrastructure. and then i think that is really, really going to work. and then the final thing i'll mention on this point is that you know, this, this issue of trying to crowd in private investments working with a private sector. i think, i think a lot of work will have to go into that. because traditionally we find is that the private sector, particularly in europe, tends to be quite hesitant to engage or invest in africa because of this perception of risk. so whether this initiative, the suit,

your european global gateway initiative, the risk african markets can help prepare a pipeline or bankable projects for the private sector to invest in. i think that might be a key determinant. so i think a lot of us are kind of in a week and see how this is actually going to happen. and speaking of risk, a vector in beijing over the last last 8 years or so, the belt and roads initiative has been underway. china has taken on a significance level of risk because it know with the investments it's maids. does china see that risk is paying off? because there are countries who have struggled to pay back the debts and the sums of money that they have, they've taken on in terms of chinese finance. just i just trying to view that.

thank you very much. i think you are reasoning a very important question from the chinese perspective. we have several conclusions . one is that cooperation with african countries should not be just based on donor assistance because that will not really help to build up national capacity in many african countries. secondly, if you're pure to use commercial terms and commercial structure, then it will not work to because many of the company is, will find the investment times too long to difficult profit. the ability to solve or example. and they probably will not be committed to many of these projects, especially infrastructure projects. so you need to really innovate to come up with a model that will suit the set was. this is a different african countries, but also to make sure that you really contribute to connectivity and infrastructure . absolutely, i'm not just thinking of africa here. victor guy,

well also thinking of the railway projects and low the, the ports in sri lanka were china has had some of those significant that's paid off by 100 year long leases and the country is selling off the family jewels in order to service those debts. the china recognize that it's lensing practices perhaps needs to change somewhat. well, 1st of all, loans are always a very important part of the fun is in package for most of the infrastructure and connectivity projects. so don't single out as long as if debt itself is evil. if you talk about debt, do know who borrows most of the money from china? it is not any country africa or even at the america or usa is the united states government? yes, my and i think as a seller or if it's cool in my not to the chinese, the therapist that you need to come up with the vibe, all commercial structure to make sure that the infrastructure projects will be done

. well, let's take that risk and, and see how it applies a back to that, the global gateway initiative, luis desantos are the we've highlighted the fact that private companies certainly in europe are going to be a big part of this project id. think being under this umbrella is going to incentivize more countries to, to start reinvesting, if you like, in developing nations. i think his important part of me to get him risky is important, specially if you want to convince them more small and medium sized companies also to be part of these projects. and we know that in certain regions of what i'm including in europe, they f a nice are an important partner and even important peeler from an economic point of view. so the projects of the global gateways foresees the export credit

system. so, oh, fully that we'll be admitted ation of the race and also the fact that we are and that is one of the objectives that for business is very important that we really prioritize projects. and that we really look at projects for the have a strategic interests in terms of development and economic development. and this way we can kind of like the resources for the most viable and strategic projects. i think this will be ways and schools to, to mitigate, to mitigate the risk and coming back again to, to, to the importance of having it can now make development. i think the you recognizes that development ad is not enough and it's not really leading to sustainable grow. so we need to change the priority. and i think this is one of the reasons why the

us come up now. we did logo gateway structure. ok. zayna is that we're on the side of time, so i'll leave the last words to you. i understand it's very much a wait and see how this project is going to unfold. but if you think at this stage is likely to benefit most from the, this new global gateway. so i, i think nothing is cost. and so a lot depends on what approach and how, how, how european countries actually make this make this work on the ground. and the reality i liked it ends on the extent to which others, gateway initiative is actually informed by the needs of parties. all these developing countries around. in the case of africa,

preaching jobs for the $13.00 to $15000000.00 people joining the labor market every single year. around plug in the infrastructure, financing gap around a $100000000.00 a year around. and there was only providing financing for adaptation to climate change to the june of around $50000000000.00. will this respond to these needs set and identify the paradise by african countries? i think that is very much something that will determine how this goes and the ability of african countries themselves to kind of put their own needs on the agenda. and i'm afraid we are out of time. but thank you to all our guests. they now bozeman luis desantos, and of course, joining us and paging victor go and thank you to for watching. remember, you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com.

and for further discussion just heads or facebook page at facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter handle is a j inside story for me, and the whole team is bye for night. ah, the listening post cuts through the noise, we're talking about competing now. seeing modern day calls being used to perpetuate with the listening post. your guide to the media follows just 0.

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