But the scheme should stick to key principles including environmental sustainability and a level playing field, according to Spain’s foreign minister.

Ambassador to China invites Beijing to help develop ports and other facilities as Russia seeks to boost sea traffic in region.

Spanish ambassador Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo calls on Beijing to open its market and level the playing field, ahead of EU-China summit in Brussels.

Deputy prime minister Yannis Dragasakis hopes ‘logic will prevail’ ahead of EU-China summit and affirms Greek support for Beijing’s belt and road plan for global trade.

US should worry about its own debts to China rather than warn Italy about a debt trap, suggests Michele Geraci, who predicts more European nations will soon follow it in joining belt and road plan.

Ethiopian ambassador to China Teshome Toga Chanaka insists that signing on to the Belt and Road Initiative ‘makes a lot of sense’, rejecting claims that the plan is a ‘debt trap’ for developing economies.

Malaysia will ‘find some way to deal with China’ and not take cues from Western scaremongering over Huawei and the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, the prime minister tells the Post.

Beijing and Moscow have remained firm in supporting President Nicolas Maduro, though the EU and US have recognised Guaido as the de facto head of state.