Refinitiv has launched BRI Connect, part of a suite of tools enabling the global investment community to identify investment opportunities around China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) through access to trusted, holistic information including macroeconomic, project, market, financing, geopolitical and operational risk data.

The Belt and Road Initiative focuses on building significant infrastructure projects across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Officially launched by China’s President Xi in 2013, it is already considered the largest investment program in history, accounting for more than $500 billion USD of spend in infrastructure projects across more than 70 countries.

The initiative encompasses a vast range of infrastructure projects connecting countries that account for over 60 percent of the global population along six different economic corridors and one maritime route. The immense scale of BRI presents a unique set of opportunities – and risks – for global investors and asset managers.

Available exclusively through Refinitiv’s financial markets desktop Eikon, BRI Connect helps financial professionals to monitor specific projects; access unparalleled coverage of financing deals and primary capital markets; a better understanding of where to invest in BRI; secure accurate, up-to-date country risk ratings; and mitigate counterparty exposure when operating along cross-border transactions in BRI countries.

“As Belt and Road reshapes global commerce and China continues to internationalize, being able to unlock the investment opportunities and navigate the risks they present, is crucial for the financial community,” said David Craig, CEO, Refinitiv. “At Refinitiv, we believe the financial community has a significant role to play in allocating capital to high quality infrastructure that will make a difference in raising living standards and sustainably supporting the planet’s growing population. The Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is an important example of where that role is vital.”

“The Belt and Road Initiative is not a China-only story. For its impact to match its unprecedented ambitions, transparent information has an important role to play in driving global investment” said Sir Gerry Grimstone, Chairman, Barclays Bank PLC. “Refinitiv’s BRI Connect platform is at the very heart of this important project data ecosystem, enabling investors to de-risk Belt and Road projects and find those that are bankable, affordable and sustainable.”

“Five years on from its initial announcement, China’s Belt and Road Initiative remains a clear area for greater collaboration,” said Catherine McGuinness, City of London Corporation Policy Chair. “I have long said that London, and indeed the UK as a whole, is the natural Western end of the BRI, and can support by being a key hub for international infrastructure investment. Partnerships between UK and Chinese companies will be key in this respect, and the data produced by Refinitiv’s BRI Connect will go someway to helping bring together firms from both sides.”

Source: Refinitiv