An opinion article from The New York Times writes, "Beijing's plans for a new multilateral Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have put Washington on edge. More than 40 countries, including major United States allies in Europe, have signed up to join it despite the Obama administration's objections and warnings...The bank's creation will not enhance China's global power at the expense of the United States. If anything, Beijing's attempt to go multilateral is a step backward: It's a concession that China's established practice of promoting bilateral initiatives in the developing world has backfired.... China's move today to set up the A.I.I.B. is yet another rational response to the economic challenges it faces at the moment."
According to Reuters, "Chinese manufacturers should shift the focus to quality from quantity in equipment exports and expand joint production overseas, to boost efficiency in the slowing economy...Chinese companies in sectors from consumer goods to railways and nuclear energy are increasingly looking to tap overseas markets as growth at home slows, as well as to gain valuable technical knowledge through tie-ups with international firms."
"India has replaced China as the country with the largest number of cities in the world's top 20 most polluted (in terms of air quality)... China and India are also adopting many of the same measures, [like] experimenting with tradable permits (in China for CO2 and in India for PM2.5), continuous air pollution monitoring and reporting from major cities and industries, the establishment of eco or smart cities, and higher fuel and vehicle emission standards. [However], the two countries are at significantly different stages of economic development: India's per capita GDP is less than one quarter of China's, so its economic development needs are greater than those of China. For India, the temptation may be greater to continue to sacrifice environmental protection to rapid economic growth, but the opportunities for an earlier course correction are also greater," explains The Diplomat.