Dr China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Bold but Responsible Influence

Abstract

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China is an important communication and
connectivity programme of the 21st century. It has sparked controversy over China's
strategic motives, the economic viability of its projects, and its impact on
developing countries. However, it seeks to influence state behaviour through its
infrastructure, finance, and long-term economic interdependence, without applying
military coercion or regime engineering. The paper aims to make this argument in
two steps. First, it constructs a theoretical prism that combines classical realism with
another notion, realizm, which emphasises an increasing awareness within major
powers that often neglects the long-term interests of weaker nations. This notion of
realizm is inspired by complex interdependence. Second, it utilises a qualitative,
descriptive approach to analyse the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as
the flagship project of the BRI, which is mutually beneficial to both China and
Pakistan. This discussion has concluded that BRI has thus far been a somewhat
responsible form of great-power influence that China aims to exert as a global
player, without any hint of its military ambitions.