Key Takeaways

• In the last decades, China has heavily invested in road, rail, subway, and airport infrastructure and stimulated its economy through infrastructure investment. However, this has increasingly been overshadowed by concerns about the deepening debt spiral and numerous negative economic, socio-economic, and ecological impacts.
• Ecological aspects have received little attention and primarily involve large emissions during the procurement of materials, construction, operation, and demolition of infrastructure. Recent studies show that certain types of infrastructure in China have a larger ecological footprint compared to similar projects in other countries. What is more, infrastructure expansion without sufficient demand leads to underutilization, resulting in wasted resources and unnecessary destruction of the natural environment.
• Especially in the context of the EU's Global Gateway initiative, China's infrastructure overcapacity serves as a cautionary example for EU policy, illustrating the risks of extensive infrastructure spending. It also highlights significant environmental impacts, particularly the massive generation of CO2 emissions, which should be a key point of emphasis in discussions with countries in the Global South, ultimately calling into question China's credibility as a leader in climate and environmental issues.