The Belt and Road Initiative
economic development is apparent in the significant infrastructure investments and trade agreements facilitated by the initiative. However, there are some political dimensions to the BRI. China aims to build alliances with other countries and counter the influence of its rivals. Despite this, the political motives attributed to the BRI by the western media and Chinese authorities are often misguided. The debt-trap argument claims that countries that take loans from China become trapped in a cycle of debt that they cannot sustain. It is believed that this could lead to China taking control of strategic assets or resources. However, this argument fails to consider the intention of China and the lack of evidence that China has been seizing foreign land. Similarly, the string of Pearls theory, which claims that China is establishing a network of military bases and strategic assets along maritime routes to exert maritime dominance, lacks substantive evidence. Instead, this component of the BRI primarily focuses on port development and logistics infrastructure to facilitate trade rather than military expansion or ownership of foreign sovereign territory. Furthermore, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) argues that the BRI promotes transparency and sustainability. However, transparency is not a priority for China, as evidenced by the lack of transparency in project financing, environmental impact assessments, and procurement processes. This opaque approach is intended to make the project more attractive to corrupt leaders and businessmen. Moreover, China is only environmentally friendly when it is economically beneficial, as demonstrated by its increasing investments in fossil fuels. In essence, China prioritizes economic consequences over political ones, especially concerning the environment. While the BRI may be economic in nature, it may not be viewed as such. For China to further dispel rumours of its malicious political intentions, such as the debt-trap or the string of pearls theory and to advance its own goals, China should make the content of its agreements more transparent and actively try to stamp out corruption.
Bibliography
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