Economics

China’s Belt and Road Plan Is Getting Lashed by Coronavirus

Signature infrastructure disrupted by worker quaratines
Outbreak adds new hurdle while economy forces Xi to scale back

Belt and Road Initiative Building Bridges On Laos’ Rail Network — Photographer: Taylor Weidman/Bloomberg

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By Iain Marlow, Karlis Salna, Anusha Ondaatjie, and Dandan Li

March 4, 2020 at 9:00 PM UTC

Updated on

March 5, 2020 at 4:53 AM UTC

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Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative has long been seen as a way to project China’s influence around the world. Now, the coronavirus is showing how the trade and infrastructure program can help export the country’s troubles.