The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013, is an ambitious global infrastructure and economic development project aimed at building trade networks across Asia, Africa, and Europe. It involves significant investments in infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports, and energy pipelines, designed to enhance connectivity and trade with China.

However, BRI is also seen as a tool for expanding China’s geopolitical influence by binding participant countries to it through debt dependency and economic reliance. Countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Kenya have faced challenges repaying large Chinese loans, raising concerns about a « debt-trap diplomacy » strategy, where China gains leverage over strategic assets, such as ports.

Furthermore, the initiative has strategic security implications, particularly in maritime regions where China is gaining access to critical trade routes and potential military bases. Critics argue that BRI enhances China’s ability to project power globally, challenging U.S.-led international order.