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		</div><p>President Xi Jinping has called for more countries to join China’s sprawling infrastructure-building initiative in the face of US opposition to a project Washington worries is increasing Beijing’s strategic influence.</p>
<p>Mr Xi spoke at a gathering of leaders to celebrate the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, his signature foreign project.</p>
<p>The upbeat tone of the two-day forum, at which Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders praised the initiative, is a setback for the Trump administration, which is trying to discourage other countries from participating.</p>
<p>Mr Xi promised on Friday to promote high financial, environmental and other standards in response to complaints about debt and other problems.</p>
<p>That has the potential to heighten tensions with Washington by attracting more participants.</p>
<p><em>“We need to encourage the full participation of more countries and companies,”</em> the Chinese president said at the event at a government conference centre outside Beijing.</p>
<p>Mr Xi tried to dispel complaints Belt and Road does little for developing countries that have borrowed from Beijing to build ports, railways and other facilities.</p>
<p>Mr Xi said his government wants to “deliver benefits to all”.</p>
<p>Other governments welcomed the initiative launched in 2013 to increase trade by building ports, railways and other infrastructure across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.</p>
<p>But some are struggling to repay Chinese loans, which has fuelled complaints about a possible “debt trap”.</p>
<p>Critics also complain too much of the work goes to Chinese state-owned companies and the initiative might lead to corruption and environmental damage.</p>
<p>The United States, Russia, Japan and India worry Beijing is eroding their influence.</p>
<p>American officials have warned other governments about potential debt problems and China’s possible political motives.</p>
<p>Mr Xi’s government is trying to revive momentum for Belt and Road after the number of new projects slumped last year.</p>
<p>That followed official announcements that Chinese lenders would examine borrowers more closely and concerns by some governments about Beijing’s rising influence.</p>
<p>On Friday, Mr Xi promised to embrace international financial, environmental and other standards.</p>
<p>He pledged to work more closely with multinational entities and to open projects dominated by Chinese state-owned companies wider to private and foreign contractors.</p>
<p>Despite US opposition, the Chinese government says the number of countries have signed agreements to support the initiative has risen to 115 from 65.</p>
<p>Beijing scored a diplomatic coup in March when Italy, a member of the Group of Seven major economies, signed an agreement to support Belt and Road.</p>
<p>On Friday, Mr Putin said Belt and Road fits with Moscow’s initiative to develop a common market with four of its neighbours.</p>
<p>The Chinese leader repeated his promise to adopt “widely accepted rules and standards” and encourage Belt and Road countries to follow global standards for project development, purchasing and operations.</p>
<p><em>“We welcome the participation of multilateral and international financial institutions in Belt and Road investment and financing, and we encourage third market cooperation,”</em> said Mr Xi.</p>
<p><em>“With involvement of multiple stake holders we can surely deliver benefits to all.”</em></p>
<p>Mr Xi’s promises on debt, transparency and anti-corruption “will be well received by some BRI countries and outside observers,” Kelsey Broderick of Eurasia Group in a report.</p>
<p>Others including the European Union “will wait to see actual implementation”.</p>
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