Asian Development Bank: based on figures available from 1971. Many other developing countries are keen to understand how China managed this process and to replicate its success. There are also several international initiatives - such as the Belt and Road Initiative in China and the (much smaller) infrastructure plan for Africa from Germany - that have put infrastructure investments at their centre. Meanwhile, international institutional investors, ever on the lookout to strengthen their financial portfolios, seem keen on infrastructure as an asset class, since it offers a steady return on investment profile.