China’s President Xi Jinping put forth the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road proposals, also known as the One Belt, One Road Initiative, during his visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in September and October 2013, respectively. (The initiative is aimed at expanding the country’s international influence by pushing to revive its ancient overland and maritime silk routes to Europe.)

Since those months in 2013, the One Belt, One Road grand project, also known as the Belt and Road (BRI), has become a priority in China’s foreign-policy drive.

Although the BRI idea is much discussed at almost every major international affairs forum or conference in China, the outside world does not seem to be too excited about it or has overlooked the significance of this important emerging Chinese strategy.

… Li Mingjiang is an associate professor and coordinator of the China Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. This is the first in a series on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, that was published in RSIS Commentary.