Over the past decade, Chinese investment has flowed into the Balkans, providing these countries with access to desperately needed development finance. But at what cost ? Chinese infrastructure financing has sparked concerns over labor standards, democracy, debt and pollution. From the copper mines of eastern Serbia to Montenegro’s billion-dollar highway to nowhere, this Bertelsmann Foundation film goes to the front lines of China’s economic advances in Europe.
Join the filmmaker Samuel Georges (Bertelsmann Foundation) for a screening of the film and a discussion with experts in policy, research and environmental advocacy within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Jingjing Zhang (University of Maryland School of Law, Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability (CTEA)) has conducted extensive litigation work in Africa and Latin America to ensure that Chinese infrastructure companies comply with environmental laws and international standards in matters of human rights. Margaret Myers (Inter-American Dialogue & Wilson Center) brings deep expertise in a wide range of BRI investments in Latin America. During his tenure as a member of the Belt and Road Initiative Green Coalition, Christophe Nedopil (Green Finance & Development Center, Fudan University) worked with China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and academics on strategies to make China’s BRI greener.
It’s a in person only event. The post-film discussion will be recorded and posted online later when the film is available.
