Belt and Road Initiative: China

(asked on 13th May 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what role his Department has in the Belt and Road Initiative Strategic Oversight Board; who the primary lead is for that Board; what the objectives are of that board; who attends meetings of that board and in what capacity; which other (a) Government departments and (b) external individuals attend meetings of that board; how often such meetings take place; who the lead Minister is of those meetings; and whether the board Minutes are published online.


Answered by
Anne-Marie Trevelyan Portrait
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 18th May 2021

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Strategic Oversight Board is a cross-Government coordination mechanism led by senior Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials. Other departments represented on the Board at senior civil service level include HM Treasury, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Department for International Trade (DIT), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Cabinet Office. Through the Board, the FCDO ensures that other departments considering engagement with projects associated with the BRI are aware of the wider spectrum of UK interests, the strategic context, and priorities such as adherence to international standards. This applies to both engagement with specific BRI projects and to Government activities intended to influence the BRI at a more systemic level. BEIS representatives have attended regarding China’s climate influence through the BRI. The Board meets quarterly or as required. Minutes are not published, reflecting normal practice for internal meetings between civil servants. There are no external or Ministerial attendees.

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