[jimclegg]

The "well planned" foreign infrastructure projects have had positive impacts on the local communities and economies.

They provide access to loans from an alternative world bank at competitive rates with less strings attached.

Adding depth/liquidity to global markets is beneficial to participants.

[ashelmire]

Which of those signifies benevolence?

What foreign infrastructure projects? Surely not the ones where they lend money to foreigners but then China owns them? That's just investment, it's not benevolent.

The same for providing loans.

Neither of these are benevolent - they are financial tools to gain traction and influence on the world stage, as well as to make money. I don't think we can attribute any positive intent (towards the rest of the world) to these behaviors.