Sharing Belt and Road ideas crucial, Xi says

Parag Khanna, author of The Future Is Asian: Global Order in the Twenty-First Century, said Xi was right to stress the ecological aspects of maritime development.

"Maritime countries are facing rising sea levels and have different sets of policy priorities and prescriptions than countries not faced with such issues," he said.

"The broader issue of ecosystem stress arising from population growth, urbanization and infrastructure development to facilitate the extraction of commodities is something the Belt and Road needs to address."