The origins, context and nature of the Belt and Road Initiative

The world is changing very quickly in the twenty-first century. Curiously, as we enter a new period of global connections—and also of de-coupling—many are looking to the past for ideas, inspiration and models that can help explain and contextualise the present and the future. Perhaps the best example of this is China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which draws heavily on the historical Silk Roads that have connected Asia, Europe, Africa and, latterly, the Americas into global exchange systems. This article seeks to understand the BRI and looks at the challenges it faces not only in China but elsewhere too.