they are state owned or receive government supports she success rests a loss on the new silk road he promotes the project as international summits german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end. well the belgian road project has meanwhile stumbled into some problems also due to the u.s. china trade round for more i'm joined by. the president of the german institute of global and area studies in hamburg good to have you with us so some critics of that particular project say that a lot of beijing's belton road initiative only exists on paper that funding it is practically money down the drain what do you say. i wouldn't say i wouldn't say that this is really that there is no many people it does i wouldn't agree that this claim that it exists only on paper but there is so there is money involved there's big money involved but this is our money that china is just giving away it's money that has to be paid it's money that it's lending and that glorious will have to pay back and yes some of it is on concessional terms but stil

they are state owned or receive government supports she success rests a loss on the new silk road he promotes the project as international summits german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end you. talk about this with your correspondent in singapore how is beijing strategy seen in other asian nations. well ben initially these strategies were of course met with a lot of excitement because they presented the future business prospects as well as ease of trade but they're singing a different tune now due to some disillusionment countries like malaysia sri lanka me and my even pakistan china's longtime ally singing criticism of. misconduct as well as a suspension of projects among other issues so there's some push back i guess some countries are finally bred small print what about companies that they still get to invest all the countries in general are now more cautious as a result of all of this pushback on companies like why is our facing the same situation they are sharing the same negative sentiment governments are ques

they are state owned or receive government supports she success rests a loss on the new silk road he promotes the project as international summits german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end. well tourism is a pillar of the indonesian economy but there are concerns about the state investing even more in the region hit by a tsunami on the twenty second of december it hit the coast without warning crushing one of the biggest beach hotels killing dozens of people on the location remains heavily exposed. this beach had been one of the highlights of indonesia's push to draw more tourists the hotel that start here before the tsunami struck advertised its views of one of the world's most famous active volcanoes. the government did a study and it concluded that ten you could be made a top tourist destination because it was so close to crack a tour of. the volcano is in the middle of the sea and it's still expanding. into the shadow do you think that's why it became a major tourist draw. that volcano triggered the tsunami that

silk road. she promotes the project at international summit. german companies in china are also interested in the silk road but what's unclear is just how much they'll be able to benefit from it in the end. of the belgian road project has meanwhile stumbled into some problems also due to the u.s. china trade route for more i'm joined now on the line of. president of the german institute of global and area studies good to have you with us first of all some critics of the project say that a lot of beijing's belden road initiative only exists on paper and that funding it is actually money down the drain would you say. hello hi monica great to be here. so there is a lot of. money going down the drain. and part of the money because if you hear what happened. when you read about president my heart burn down like a lot of countries are going to greater and greater and that as a result of this promise. it has to be paid back and that come with. so there is money going into this but it's not a free lunch and there's a lot of developing countries and the

they are state owned or receive government supports she success rests a loss on the new silk road he promotes the project as international summits. german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end of. that while some countries are looking to attract more tourists other hot spots are trying to keep tourists a bay if you're planning a day trip to the dreamy italian city of venice this year you might have to fork out for the privilege of accessing the city's historic center because the permission for cities to charge admission is among a host of measures introduced by italy is twenty nine thousand budget america but he says people will be charged up to ten euros a visit in that the money will be used to clean up the city the tax will only apply to day tourists and not to those traveling for work or study. and her mind another top story we're following for you. president all trump says the u.s. government shutdown will also slow as it takes the president is preparing for another showdown with democratic leaders in congress. an

silk road. he promotes the project as international summits german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end. one of the first things you should think about when contemplating a ride in an electric vehicle is how far you can go on a single charge and when you have to turn back and that can be a question of life or death a great in the great arctic outdoors where freezing temperatures mean new electric snowmobiles can only take you so far. these winter tourists are exploring the arctic wilderness on what's claimed to be the world's first all electric snowmobile safari over the course of two hours they travel twenty five kilometers through lapland snow covered forests on battery power alone. countryside they say because it's peaceful when you get to see things where before that just the noise of the other ones with the you know would take anything lot of what wildlife and not out of life and that sort of situation the east sled is the result of development work at the lapland university of applied science that start

are state owned or receive government supporters see success rests a loss on the new silk road he promotes the project as international summits german companies in china are also interested in the silk road what's unclear is just how much they'll benefit from this in the end you. talk about this with your correspondent in singapore how is beijing strategy seen in other asian nations. well ben initially these strategies were of course met with a lot of excitement because they presented the future business prospects as well as ease of trade but they're singing a different tune know due to some disillusionment countries like malaysia sri lanka me and ma even pakistan china's long time ally singing criticism of. misconduct as well as suspension of projects among other issues so there's some push back i guess some countries have finally bred small print what about companies that they still get to in bits. all countries in general are now more cautious as a result of all this pushback on companies likewise are facing the same situation they are shame to see negative sentiment governments are questioning whe

revolution says this kazakh research that's because one of the most important economic projects the new silk road crosses change on province. does. the chinese want to keep enjoying province quiet it's very important for them many people there are of kazakh origin and they want to bring them under their control no matter what means they have to use to do it. since starting cation program and twenty sixteen the chinese authorities have also been using kazakh gods now for the first time one of these gods has fled. no longer wanted to be part of what he sees as an inhumane machine. the people like took to the camps looked bad and thoroughly shaken. we were also constantly afraid my colleague was deported to the camp because he had picked up a piece of paper with the words please help us written on his cameras filmed him so they arrested him and took him to a camp. here at the small human rights organization that's how you know what they try to help by filming appeals by cossacks who are looking for their relatives in china they hope the world will finally listen to. sports news now this week sees th

projects that are viable that do have both economic benefits but maybe kind of geopolitical benefits and if it actually succeeds in things like setting standards so matt mentioned the digital silk road, if some of these projects are ones that establish the new standards in digital economy, then that actually does present a real fundamental problem to what is called the west and the rules of the game that we would champion. i don't think that is where the bri is. i think that is the vision and i think there are a lot of reasons to doubt whether or not it will succeed but i think that's the risk and i think that's why he has seen this sort of response you have had from the united states and partners. >> stephanie said it exactly the way i was going to say. that's exactly way to think about the bri in both the opportunity and the potential risk and challenger. i would just commend to you on top of that a paper report that my our colleague john hillman collects project put out yesterday i think it was yesterday you never can tell in this online world when it actually came out but called influence and infrastructure and he takes the historic look at how infrastructure has been used to ex

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next. and be the catalyst in getting us. china's dominance in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that far in debt this bought in the southern region of humber was built with loans from china but the governm

beijing's belton road initiative a modern day silk road linking asia europe and the middle east but not everyone in sri lanka is convinced about the project. the port city has been doubt sri lanka's new dubai the official name is the colombo international financial city especially comic zone with its own business friendly tax regime and regulations. an estimated one hundred million cubic meters of sand when needed before building construction could even start thousands of tons of sand when moved from sri lanka's coastline for the new port city it's being loaded by the country's leaders as a great achievement. of the peace or equality game model and we don't know one of the more i think people if you look one project this country will never see. and it comes at a hefty price for sri lanka local fishermen say it's destroying marine life and their livelihoods. they environmental damage is changing the region's ecosystem some environmentalists say the excavated stand alone is worth more than double the project's anti a budget of one point four billion dollars so while many are celebrating a milestone some sri lankans are concerned the project

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next. and be the catalyst in getting us. china's dominance in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that foreign debt this port in the southern region of humber was built with loans from china but the governme

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of sri lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next few years and port city will be the catalyst in getting us there china is dominant and in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead to financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans. the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that four in dead this port in the southern region of humber was bui

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next. and be the catalyst in getting us. china's dominance in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that foreign debt this port in the southern region of humber was built with loans from china but the governme

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of sri lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next few years and port city will be the catalyst in getting us there china is dominant and in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans. the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that four in dead this port in the southern region of humber was built

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of sri lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next few years and port city will be the catalyst in getting us there china is dominant and in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that far in debt this board in the southern region of humber was built w

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects are going to be the center of change in the next. and be the catalyst in getting us. china's dominance in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollar loans the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that far in debt this bought in the southern region of humber was built with loans from china but the government

the colombo port city project is an important project of the one belt one road initiative in sri lanka which is one of the key countries along the maritime silk route it is also an important project to implement the consensus of china and sri lanka and is an important project for the benefit of sri lankan society and its people for its part china will own a little less than half the land for ninety nine years yet the government is confident that the new development will help sri lanka's economic prospects we are going to be the center of change in the next few years and port city will be the catalyst in getting us there china is dominant in sri lanka cannot be ignored this its latest project sri lanka's largest single foreign direct investment a project to build a two hundred sixty nine ahead to financial city on land reclaimed from the sea and now china is back again offering sri lanka more million dollars loans. the government will likely use that money to pay some of its staggering debt which stands at around thirty billion dollars and chinese loans account for some of that four in debt this bought in the southern region of humber was buil

projects that are viable, that have both economic benefit but maybe kind of geopolitical benefit, and if it actually succeeds in things like setting standards. matt mentioned kind of the digital silk road. if they establish new standards in digital economy, then that actually does present a real, fundamental problem to the west and the rules of the game that we would champion. i do not think that's where the bri is. andink that's the vision there are a lot of reasons to doubt whether or not it will succeed, but i think that is the risk. that is why you have seen this were a response you have from the united states and partners. >> i would just>> -- stephanie said exactly what was going to say. i think that's exactly the way to think of the bri, and but the potential risk and challenge here. to you on top of that a paper report that our colleague codirects the reconnecting agent project put out yesterday. i think it came yesterday. it's called influence and infrastructure. a historic look at how infrastructure has been used to exert influence. he talks about the romans, the british and telegraph, and it's an interesting have oracle -- historical, and then talking about the potential use