23 May 2017
showCASE 28: The Belt and Road initiative: golden bridge or outright confrontation?
China hosted a 2-day summit in front of 28 world leaders to showcase the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R), one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the world to date. Its official aim is an improvement of trade links between more than 60 producer-countries, accounting for close to 30% of the world’s GDP. However, while the project in its current shape has in fact potential to bring China closer to its trading partners in Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Europe, its present setup also may create regional segmentation, as a likely confrontation between two regional powers, India and China, may urge other countries in the region to pick sides.
