The West and its allies have re-launched their own version of the China Belt and Road A new submarine fiber-optic data cable over southern Europe and the Latin American ocean is set to be networked this month – and the schedule is unlikely to be. The EllaLink 150 million euro project is backed by public loans, including from the European Investment Bank. The China Belt and Road Initiative will be launched when the EU and its allies renew their impetus for cooperation in international infrastructure projects, according to which Beijing has spread its influence around the world. The aim is to foster cooperation between the EU and its partners – including Japan, the US and India – and to support high-quality projects in low- and middle-income countries. The issue is expected to be on the agenda at EU and G7 summits in May and June. The EU and its partners will try to give it the boost it has lacked so far, and Biden has called for it to add to the agenda at the G7 summit in the UK this summer.