Leaders in the Global South don’t quite agree with the West on the Belt and Road Initiative. For the West to compete with China, collaboration is key.
Belt and Road Initiative
China’s Belt and Road Initiative continues to expand its global influence, particularly in developing autocracies, leveraging infrastructure and tech investments.
The Balochistan Liberation Front’s attack highlights security risks to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Reko Diq copper mine.
Russia has locked itself into an economic partnership with China in which it is the supplicant. It’s a role that Moscow seems happy to play.
Xi Jinping is unlikely to disown Putin, but he will balance his support for him with the need to stabilize relations with the U.S. and Europe.
As a lender, it is in China’s interest to consider upfront debt treatment for countries with unsustainable debt burdens.
The Pakistani military’s attempted rebalancing to the West may anger China and Russia, resulting in more pain for its fledgling economy.
Vietnam’s hedging strategy toward the Belt and Road Initiative serves as a model for other Southeast Asian countries in managing relations with China.
Once a signature project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the Addis Ababa light rail service now symbolizes its sustainability challenges.
Chinese development banks made only $3.7 billion in new overseas loan commitments in 2021 — nearly a 96 percent drop from the peak of $87 billion in 2016.