Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

China’s growing footprint in South and Central Asia has been made possible by the influx of grants, loans, mergers, and economic concessions for projects.

The country has traditionally relied on the U.S. for economic and strategic support, but Beijing is rapidly making in-roads.

Intense competition, epitomized by competing “corridors,” is emerging in Asia and beyond between the U.S., China, and Russia. 

For decades, the Chinese economy has soared. This has allowed mass investment in projects worldwide, but the question remains if it was worth it.

As a proof of concept for the G-7's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, there is a lot riding on the initiative in the northern Philippines.

Any alternative corridor (like IMEC) is likely to leverage BRI hubs and completed projects – thus making them complementary rather than competing initiatives.

Insights from Henry Gao.

Despite unfulfilled pledges of more than $50 billion, Beijing still remains the region's largest infrastructure funder by a considerable margin.

A conversation with Frank Maracchione on Central Asia studies in China.

Promoting various economic corridors as “alternatives” to the BRI misses the mark, for three reasons.

A decade on, the country faces crippling economic challenges and environmental degradation from the ambitious (and still incomplete) highway project.