Last Updated:2017-04-14

In an April 2017 interview with Xinhua, Dr. Geoff Raby asserts that infrastructure development within the New Silk Road initiative will open new natural resource opportunities and support developing countries.

"The Belt and Road is focusing on infrastructure development, but there are clearly some very important natural resource deposits, not just coal but in many areas, that could benefit infrastructure investment under the initiative," Dr. Raby said.

"There is another, second order aspect to the Belt and Road Initiative that people don't really focus on, but they should. The infrastructure build, in developing countries, in poorer countries, the infrastructure built there by China helps to lift those countries overall level of economic growth. That is a real benefit to Australia."