国内英语新闻:Historian praises China's global infrastructure building, criticizes West's destructive me

MOSCOW, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China, with its impressive international infrastructure initiatives, has injected impetus into global growth, a U.S.-German historian has said, while criticizing Washington's hawkish attitude, as reported by Sputnik.

China is "leading an economic renaissance of a scale not seen in more than a century," said F. William Engdahl, a historian and economic researcher, in his recent article for New Eastern Outlook.

"Beijing is, with customary Chinese speed, linking its economy by land and by sea lanes to all Eurasia," the historian wrote, previously saying that China is "moving forward with an impressive array of major international infrastructure projects" in various regions.

"For my side, I infinitely prefer the peaceful building projects to the destroying ones," Engdahl said.

During the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in early December in South Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the 60-billion-U.S.-dollar aid package for Africa in the next three years.

The package seeks to help Africa to industrialize, modernize its agricultural production, boost the skills of its workers, build infrastructure and improve its health care.

"Unlike NATO's endless wars, construction of infrastructure -- railways, water navigation, electric power grids, lifts people up and enhances peace and stability," Engdahl said, pointing out that Xi's offer benefits both Africa and China.

China is also establishing a more amicable, vibrant neighborhood and is deepening economic ties with European countries through its Belt and Road initiative.

The Belt and Road initiative, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Xi in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

The initiative creates a "golden opportunity" for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe that are facing economic difficulties, linking the East and the West of the Eurasian continent through a vast network of high-speed railways and maritime routes, Engdahl said.

"China is the world address in rail infrastructure today, while the West, led by the pathetic rail construction record of the USA, falls farther and farther behind," Engdahl said, referring to China's planned construction of a Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway.

The railway linking the capitals of Hungary and Serbia, Budapest and Belgrade, has a total length of 350 km, with 184 km in Serbia. It is designed for electric passenger and cargo trains with a maximum speed of 200 km per hour.

Once complete, it will help create a fast lane for importing and exporting products between China and Europe.

Besides recognizing the export of "Chinese rail technology" to Europe, the researcher also mentioned Beijing's intentions to invest in constructing and upgrading port facilities in the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.