Leading a rethink of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

China’s Belt and Road Initiative is no longer seen as attractive present as it was 10 years ago. However, any key differences in approaches to China are emerging throughout Europe. This is evident erstwhile analysing German engagement towards China, versus that of Southeast Europe.

It has been 10 years since the inauguration of China’s flagship abroad economical policy – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Chinese president Xi Jinping has labelled the BRI as the “project of the century.” Many of the more than 140 participating countries have ample reason to take stock of the benefits and drawbacks of their cooperation with, and integration into, this geopolitical and geo-economic project.