KUALA LUMPUR: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) should not be viewed as a new form of imperialism or colonialism but rather as a platform for economic cooperation, infrastructure development, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

 Vice-Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, Hussein Askary, said China's approach through the BRI has proven to be more beneficial than the strategies employed by Western powers.

He added that fears of imperialism and colonialism will dissipate as people witness the tangible benefits of cooperation with China.

"China has no history of colonialism. What it offers, and this is increasingly recognised, is economic advantage and genuine friendship.

"When the Chinese speak of friendship, they truly mean it," he said during a lecture on the BRI's successes and challenges from a West Asia perspective at Universiti Malaya (UM) on Thursday.

The lecture, moderated by Deputy Executive Director of Universiti Malaya's Asia-Europe Institute (AEI), Associate Prof Dr Roy Anthony Rogers, was co-hosted by UM's Department of International and Strategic Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific (BRICAP).

Among those in attendance were BRICAP President Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat and Deputy Head of UM's Department of International and Strategic Studies Dr Lam Choong Wah.

When asked about China's influence in Central Asia, Askary said the region's alignment with neighbouring powers like China and Russia is shaped by geographical, economic and political realities.

He emphasised that China's commitment to infrastructure and economic development, coupled with its non-interventionist stance, has made it a more attractive partner for Central Asian nations than Western countries.

"Now, many Central Asian countries are also becoming disappointed with these Western policies because there are no real economic investments especially in infrastructure," he said

Askary also called on Western powers to return to a foreign policy rooted in peaceful coexistence and economic cooperation.

He cited Africa as an example, urging the West to focus on developing the continent rather than exploiting its resources.

"For example, we need to focus much more on developing Africa rather than looting Africa and taking raw materials.

"Everybody in Europe is complaining about immigration, that people are leaving Africa and coming to Europe. Well, you don't solve that by arresting people at the border.

"You solve it by building the economy in Africa, working with China and other countries to build the economy in Africa so young people will stay in their country and contribute to building their country rather than risking their lives to go to Europe," he said.