The belt buckles up: China’s grand plan slims

<p>The Belt and Road initiative to encircle much of the world with Chinese-funded, Chinese-built infrastructure is growing <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/02/22/xi-jinpings-next-overseas-lending-revolution?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leaner and more penny-wise</a>. But its ambitions are undimmed. Energy-market turmoil has given a boost to the green transition—a boost that has come with <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/02/16/the-world-wont-decarbonise-fast-enough-unless-renewables-make-real-money?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hard truths</a> about the shift’s costs. And a television show about Jesus Christ becomes an <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/02/08/a-television-show-about-jesus-christ-has-become-an-unlikely-hit?utm_campaign=a.io&amp;utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&amp;utm_source=theintelligence&amp;utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&amp;utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely hit</a>.</p><br /><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>