News Analysis Western nations are increasing global infrastructure cooperation in a bid to counter Beijing’s massive “New Silk Road” project, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative. As allied democracies reassess their commitment to infrastructure investment plans, experts warn that their budgets are insignificant compared with Beijing’s global infrastructure spending. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has lavishly spent on international infrastructure during his time in power. This is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a policy enacted by Xi to transform China’s economy into a global superpower. The aim is to connect Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa through a network of roads, railways, and ports. Xi’s investment in the BRI has been unparalleled in comparison to other nations’ spending efforts. “For Xi, funding for the BRI has known almost no bounds as the logic is reversed: the more projects are financed, the greater the magnitude of …