Beijing, July 16

China’s state news agency today launched an information service on more than 60 Asian, African and European countries to support a multibillion dollar geopolitical drive by President Xi Jinping.

Under Xi, the world’s second-largest economy is pushing to build infrastructure and trade links on the ancient Silk Road trade routes on land and sea, in what is dubbed a ‘One Belt, One Road’ economic plan that would also increase regional heft.

Xinhua Silk Road service will offer credit information and risk assessments on countries involved in the scheme, Xinhua’s President Cai Mingzhao said at the launch, as well as databases, a think tank and consulting services. It will ‘change the situation of incomplete information access and asymmetric information’, Cai said.

No details on assessments were offered at the launch, although Xinhua reported separately that it released a ‘technology, infrastructure and investment environment’ index for countries along the routes.

“Singapore, China, Malaysia, the UAE and Russia are the top-performing countries among those surveyed,” Xinhua said. It did not identify any poor performers.