Belt and Road Impact Assessment

The BRI – More loose framework than formal policy

During the last two decades China has aggressively expanded its economic footprint across the globe and in doing so has emerged as a major driver of global economic growth.

However, of late Chinese economic growth has slowed down and inevitably questions are being raised as to whether the Asian giant is past its prime. In a bid to reenergise its economy and to strengthen its prominence across the globe, the Chinese government has embarked on a number of economic initiatives and one of the initiatives that is receiving considerable attention is the BRI, earlier known as One-Belt, One-Road.

The BRI is a highly ambitious China-driven plan to revive the 16th century silk (trade) route from China through Central Asia and the Middle East to Europe, plus extending to a maritime route which links China to Southeast Asia, East Africa and to Europe by sea.