President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua
President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua
Daniel Wagner
Opinion

Opinion

Daniel Wagner

China’s dreams of world leadership are fading as its belt and road projects start to sour

  • The Belt and Road Initiative, hailed for promoting development, is coming under fire as debt burdens grow, reflecting a growing wariness of Beijing’s posturing as a global leader-in-waiting on an international stage that seeks to promote debate rather than censor it

Daniel Wagner
Daniel Wagner

Updated: 5:48am, 5 Feb, 2020

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President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua
President Xi Jinping has become accustomed to casting himself and China as natural heirs to the leadership of the global system. But is a country that regularly violates global norms, standards and laws really the right country to lead the world? Photo: Xinhua
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Daniel Wagner

Daniel Wagner

Daniel Wagner is senior investment officer for guarantees and syndications at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. He has three decades of experience assessing cross-border risk, is an authority on political risk insurance and analysis, and has worked for some of the world’s most respected and best-known companies, such as AIG, GE, the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank Group. He has published eight books as well as more than 700 articles on current affairs and risk management. He holds master’s degrees in International Relations from the University of Chicago and in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.