Entries tagged "Belt & Road"

  • China-Built Roads Spark Nepal Protests | Dec. 3, 2019, 9:38 a.m.

    Beijing has signed 20 new agreements with Nepal for infrastructure development under its Belt and Road Initiative, but the recent leak of a document suggesting that road expansion could result in the loss of hundreds of acres of land along Nepal's border with China has sparked protests, Nikkei reports.

  • Asia Pacific Avoids China Debt | Nov. 27, 2019, 9:31 a.m.

    Debt sustainability risks are rising in the Asia Pacific region according to the International Monetary Fund, however, Chinese loans are not yet playing a significant role despite concerns sparked in Australia and the U.S. after China offered aid to the Solomon Islands following the switch of diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing, Nikkei reports.

  • India Concerned about CPEC | Nov. 26, 2019, 10:43 a.m.

    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is of significant concern to India, which views the corridor as a violation of its sovereignty, according to India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. However, in an interview with Nikkei, Jaishankar did not criticize the broader Belt and Road Initiative, stating that each country has the right to its own policies.

  • Pakistan Seeks Iran, Saudi Involvement in CPEC | Nov. 25, 2019, 9:28 a.m.

    In in effort to make the costly China-Pakistan Economic Corridor profitable, Islamabad is encouraging nearby countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia to participate in the initiative alongside China, Nikkei reports.

  • India Woos Sri Lanka Post-Election | Nov. 22, 2019, 9:26 a.m.

    New Delhi has reached out to Sri Lanka's newly-elected president in an attempt to improve diplomatic ties. The move comes at a time when Sri Lanka is experiencing increased Chinese investment under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Sign Up: Belt, Road, and Beyond | Nov. 20, 2019, 10:35 a.m.

    March 11 - 13, CSIS will host a three-day Master’s-level introduction to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The course will explain what the BRI is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

  • Xi Visits BRI Port in Greece | Nov. 14, 2019, 10:59 a.m.

    Chinese president Xi Jinping's visited Greece's Port of Piraeus on Monday, where the port's operator, Chinese state-owned shipping company COSCO, is set to invest another $661 million. Xi's trip underscored China's intent to continue expanding its footprint in Europe through its Belt and Road Initiative despite skepticism, Nikkei reports.

  • China's Promise of a Green Belt and Road | Nov. 14, 2019, 10:01 a.m.

    As China comes under increased scrutiny over its global energy investments, Chinese authorities have announced a series of multilateral initiatives to “green” its Belt and Road initiative (BRI). While just recognizing the problem is a positive step for China, these initiatives are generally too voluntary to be effective, too duplicative to be adding value, and too opaque to be adequately assessed.

  • China Doubles Down on Its Digital Silk Road | Nov. 14, 2019, 9 a.m.

    While the core focus of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is on traditional infrastructure deployments, it is evident that the Digital Silk Road is a key part of the overall BRI strategy, and China will leverage technology to increase its influence along the route.

  • China Lends Belarus $500 Million | Nov. 12, 2019, 9:17 a.m.

    Belarus recently secured a $500 million loan from the China Development Bank and stopped negotiations on a possible loan from Russia. The agreement followed a series of investments under China's Belt and Road Initiative, including funds for Belarusian railways and the Great Stone Industrial Park, raising speculation that the Eastern European country is seeking to deepen ties with China and reduce its dependency on Moscow.

  • BRI Draws Skepticism in China's Northeast | Nov. 8, 2019, 9:12 a.m.

    It is too early to know whether China's Belt and Road will bring change, but for now, locals in northeastern China appear uncertain about the initiative and skeptical of its promises.

  • U.S. Launches Blue Dot Network | Nov. 7, 2019, 11:20 a.m.

    U.S. officials announced the launch of the "Blue Dot Network" at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in collaboration with Japan and Australia. The network will help the U.S. counter China's Belt and Road Initiative by advancing quality infrastructure investment.

  • Cooperation Amid Asia's Infrastructure Competition | Oct. 30, 2019, 10:14 a.m.

    Questions of economic development, military power projection, political influence, and global economic suzerainty form the backdrop for what is emerging as a global competition centered on the most economically dynamic region of the world—Asia. And infrastructure development is at the center of that contest.

  • China Seeks Afghan Participation in BRI | Oct. 28, 2019, 9:17 a.m.

    Starting today in Beijing, China will begin brokering peace talks among rival Afghan factions in hopes of increasing stability in the region and furthering the reach of its Belt and Road Initiative in Central Asia, Nikkei reports.

  • China Ramps up Investment in Balkans | Oct. 24, 2019, 9:21 a.m.

    China's deepening economic ties with Central and Eastern Europe caused Secretary Pompeo to express concerns during a recent visit to the Balkans, Nikkei reports.

  • Pakistan Seeks China, Japan Aid for Infrastructure | Oct. 23, 2019, 9:29 a.m.

    During a recent trip to Tokyo, Pakistan's President, Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi, expressed hope that both Japan and China will continue to invest in the country's infrastructure to help spur economic development, Nikkei reports.

  • View All Analysis | Oct. 22, 2019, 9:43 a.m.

    Browse our analysis section for news and articles on topics such as China's Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR), the Competing Visions of Japan, India, and other regional powers, and the stakes for U.S. policy.

  • Pakistan Seeks Japan Funds for CPEC Rail | Oct. 22, 2019, 9:41 a.m.

    The provincial government of Sindh, Pakistan is looking to Japan for funding for the Karachi Circular Railway, previously funded through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Nikkei reports.

  • CSIS Event: Japan's Infrastructure Development Strategy | Oct. 22, 2019, 9:19 a.m.

    On October 17, the CSIS Japan Chair hosted the governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Tadashi Maeda, to discuss the role of infrastructure development in maintaining a free and open Pacific region and responding to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

  • Xi Talks Internet Governance | Oct. 21, 2019, 9:24 a.m.

    In a speech at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, Chinese president Xi Jinping said that it is the common responsibility of the international community to develop, use, and govern the internet well. Xi's statement was made amid rising concerns that China is exporting a model of internet governance that promotes censorship to recipient countries of its Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • U.S.-Australia Boost Space Efforts Amid China's BRI | Oct. 18, 2019, 10:55 a.m.

    In light of an increasingly dominant Chinese space program under China's Belt and Road Initiative, the newly created Australian Space Agency has invested $150 million AUD to bolster cooperation with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nikkei reports.

  • Congressional Testimony: China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative | Oct. 17, 2019, 2 p.m.

    Six years after Chinese president Xi Jinping announced the “Maritime Silk Road” Initiative, China is increasingly dominant in the maritime supply chain and the production activities that support it. This deeper maritime foundation brings commercial advantages during peacetime and could offer strategic advantages in the event of conflict. Congress has a vital role to play in addressing these challenges.

  • ADB President on the Future of Asia | Oct. 16, 2019, 10:33 a.m.

    On October 16th, CSIS Senior Vice President and Simon Chair in Political Economy, Matthew P. Goodman, hosted Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao for a conversation about quality infrastructure in Asia, China's Belt and Road Initiative, and more.

  • Xi Talks Tibet railway in Nepal | Oct. 15, 2019, 8:45 a.m.

    When Xi Jinping's visits Nepal this weekend, a proposed 72-km railway between Kyirong in Tibet and Kathmandu is likely to dominate the agenda, Nikkei reports.

  • China Expands BRI in Serbia | Oct. 3, 2019, 9:35 a.m.

    China's Belt and Road Initiative has led to an increase in infrastructure investment in Serbia, and this past month Serbia purchased Chinese military equipment and Huawei security infrastructure as well, signalling a growing partnership between the two countries, Nikkei reports.

  • BRI Boosts Construction Revenue | Sept. 19, 2019, 10:44 a.m.

    Chinese contractors earned over $118 billion in overseas construction sales last year, nearly a quarter of the year's international construction revenue. This is largely related to Chinese construction companies involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • China Attempts to Accelerate CPEC | Sept. 17, 2019, 10:18 a.m.

    A Chinese delegation was in Balochistan, Pakistan early in September, attempting to speed up progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects, which have moved slowly due to governmental and local criticism in Pakistan, Nikkei reports.

  • Thai BRI Rail Delayed | Sept. 12, 2019, 10:28 a.m.

    Amidst discussions over the liabilities and feasibility of a $9.9 billion price tag, the Thai government has delayed a high-profile Chinese Belt and Road high speed railway project.

  • Kazakhstan Advocates BRI Transparency | Sept. 10, 2019, 9:59 a.m.

    As some Kazakhs express dissatisfaction with increased infrastructure investment from China, Kazakh analysts warn that transparency is necessary for success of projects, Nikkei reports.

  • Pakistan Slows BRI Projects | Sept. 9, 2019, 9:42 a.m.

    Pakistan's policymakers have cited financial pressures and the need to balance ties between China and the U.S. as the reasons behind slow progress on The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Nikkei reports.

  • RCEP Could Benefit India’s Infrastructure | Sept. 6, 2019, 9:56 a.m.

    China's Belt and Road Initiative presents potential opportunities for India to upgrade its roads, rail networks, and ports through bridging its saving-infrastructure gap, Nikkei reports.

  • Azerbaijan’s Port on China’s Road | Sept. 4, 2019, 10:34 a.m.

    Descriptions of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) often center on China’s agency in other countries—its investments, loans, and even soft-power. However, Azerbaijan’s Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat, a retroactively labeled “BRI” infrastructure project, is anything but centrally controlled by China.

  • China Funds BRI Links in Ukraine | Sept. 3, 2019, 11:01 a.m.

    Ukraine has been a key country in China's Belt and Road Initiative, and China hopes to deepen its relationship with the ex-Soviet country. This competes with U.S. efforts to gain influence in Eastern Europe, Nikkei reports.

  • Japan, Africa Promote Sustainable Infrastructure | Aug. 30, 2019, 9:03 a.m.

    Leaders from Japan and Africa on Friday agreed on the need for infrastructure development that accounts for a country's ability to pay off debt, a veiled reference to China's Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Djibouti Seeks $11B for Ports | Aug. 29, 2019, 12:17 p.m.

    Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority is hoping to diversify its sources of funding away from China as it seeks $11 billion in investment for infrastructure upgrades and new facilities, says the company's Chairman.

  • Duterte, Xi Talk Infrastructure | Aug. 28, 2019, 9:17 a.m.

    Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese president Xi Jinping plan to sign deals for infrastructure and funding support from China's Belt and Road Initiative during Duterte's visit to Beijing this week, Nikkei reports.

  • Japan Boosts Africa Ties | Aug. 27, 2019, 10:17 a.m.

    Japan is encouraging its companies to work with African startups in a push to boost its national profile on the continent and compete with Chinese investment under its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • SE Asia Draws BRI Investment | Aug. 22, 2019, 11:03 a.m.

    Southeast Asia is proving to be a hotbed for China's Belt and Road Initiative according to two new reports, with Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam topping the list of countries with the most contracts and investment out of an estimated $11 billion in the region overall in the first half of 2019, Nikkei reports.

  • Pakistan Fast-tracks BRI Projects | Aug. 20, 2019, 10:21 a.m.

    The government of Pakistan has announced plans to set up a new body, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority, to expedite projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Bailing Out China's Belt and Road | Aug. 19, 2019, 10:33 a.m.

    This spring, when the International Monetary Fund approved a $6 billion bailout for Pakistan, an invaluable opportunity was missed to push for greater transparency of China’s Belt and Road Initiative by not requiring project contracts for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—a significant source of Pakistan’s debt—to be made public.

  • BRI Overtakes Trans-Siberian Rail | Aug. 19, 2019, 9:29 a.m.

    The China Railway Express, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, has replaced the Trans-Siberian Railway as the main rail network connecting Asia and Europe.

  • Live Route: China-Russia Border Expedition | Aug. 16, 2019, 2:58 p.m.

    In August, Ankur Shah and Vivek Pisharody departed on a 4,300km expedition along the China-Russia border to explore the regional impacts of China's multi-billion-dollar infrastructure initiative, the Belt and Road. Follow their progress in real-time on the interactive map below.

  • Japan Commits $2.84B for African Infrastructure | Aug. 15, 2019, 11:37 a.m.

    Japan has pledged to invest $2.84 billion in Africa's infrastructure to encourage transparency, in what some have interpreted as a response to corruption allegations linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

  • India Competes With BRI | Aug. 13, 2019, 11:48 a.m.

    As China increases its presence in South and Southeast Asia through its Belt and Road Initiative, India attempts to keep up by pushing similar connectivity projects in the region, Nikkei reports.

  • Tech Transfer, Local Labor Aid BRI | Aug. 12, 2019, 9:49 a.m.

    While Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects have sparked concerns in recipient countries, the shift of Chinese manufacturing overseas has been embraced when it comes with technology transfer and job creation for locals, Nikkei reports.

  • China: BRI Natural Chinese Path | Aug. 8, 2019, 10:01 a.m.

    While the U.S. has raised concerns over China’s port investments under its Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese analysts argue that the developments are driven by logistical concerns as China pursues the same maritime policies as other trading nations, rather than military motivations, Nikkei reports.

  • Currency Manipulation and the BRI | Aug. 7, 2019, 1:18 p.m.

    In this episode, the Trade Guys and Andrew discuss the Trump administration's designation of China as a currency manipulator. They also welcome a special in-house guest, Jonathan Hillman, who is a senior fellow with the CSIS Simon Chair in Political Economy and directs the Reconnecting Asia Project. Reconnecting Asia tracks new roads, railways, ports, and other infrastructure projects

  • U.S. Pitches Asia Green New Deal | Aug. 7, 2019, 9:38 a.m.

    A proposed $10 trillion "Development Green New Deal" recently put forward in the U.S. would fund green infrastructure projects in Asia and elsewhere that could compete with China's Belt and Road Initiative, Nikkei reports.

  • Xi Touts BRI Nuclear Energy | Aug. 2, 2019, 12:27 p.m.

    The China National Nuclear Corp. finished structural work for the Hualong One nuclear reactor in the Pakistani city of Karachi this June. Chinese President Xi Jinping hopes to install similar nuclear technology at more locations along the Belt and Road Initiative, with 30 units by 2030, which is estimated to create 5 million jobs and provide a total economic boost of $145 billion, Nikkei reports.

  • What's Happening with China's Belt and Road? | July 31, 2019, 9:42 a.m.

    Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy vision, the Belt and Road Initiative, is a long-term strategy to make China the center of the global economy. Can China deliver on its ambitious plans? CSIS Reconnecting Asia Director Jonathan Hillman explains what's happening with China's Belt and Road Initiative.