China is set to welcome world leaders to its international forum on the Belt and Road initiative. The meeting begins on Tuesday and is Beijing's most important diplomatic event of the year.

Delegates are gathering in the Chinese capital for the two-day forum. China wants the Belt and Road initiative to be a massive economic bloc linking Asia and Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be present. He's scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines.

Beijing says more than 150 countries have signed up since Xi began promoting the initiative 10 years ago. It says it has invested over 230 billion dollars in participating economies.

Beijing stresses the economic achievements. But Western nations are increasingly wary of the initiative which has left some developing nations saddled with ballooning debts.

Italy is the only G7 nation taking part. It's said to be considering dropping out as the expected benefits have failed to materialize. No Chinese firms have so far taken part in the planned redevelopment of Italian ports and other infrastructure projects.

An Italian furniture producer wanted to make bigger inroads into the Chinese market. But sales haven't grown as it hoped. China accounts for only about 10 percent of sales. He says The Belt and Road initiative was not helpful.

China apparently aims to use the forum to assert its influence on the global stage. But a foreign ministry spokesperson didn't say how many countries would attend.

With concerns growing in many nations, Professor Kojima Kazuko of Keio University, an expert on Chinese politics says Beijing is likely to stress that the initiative is not an expansion of Chinese power.

"The international situation has changed a lot over the past 10 years. It's getting severe for China. Even if China calls on other nations to go hand in hand, they may not follow," Kojima says. She also says it will be difficult for China to win further international support for the initiative.