A Briefing on the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global infrastructure and economic cooperation framework led by China, focusing on energy and transport connectivity across Asia, Europe, and Africa. While marketed as a 'win-win' development strategy, the document argues it often serves Chinese domestic interests, such as exporting industrial overcapacity and asserting geopolitical influence. The briefing highlights significant environmental risks, particularly the funding of coal-fired power plants and large hydropower projects, and a lack of transparent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) safeguards. It identifies a 'debt trap' risk for recipient countries and calls for a shift toward a 'Green BRI' aligned with international sustainability standards.

• The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an economic cooperation framework focused on building six major economic corridors and maritime pivot points, primarily in Asia, Europe, and Africa, though it has expanded to Latin America.
• The BRI serves several Chinese strategic interests, including creating overseas markets for State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) facing overcapacity, securing Western China, and influencing international standards.
• China uses the BRI to export industrial overcapacity in 12 key sectors, including steel, cement, and electricity. A notable example is the funding of 102 GW of coal plants outside China, with Bangladesh receiving the most proposed capacity at 14 GW (over US$7 billion).
• The Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) is a transboundary supergrid promoted by China to deploy clean energy, but analysis shows it may be used to export energy from coal-fired plants, such as the 5.5 GW Shivee-Ovoo plant in Mongolia.
• BRI financing is dominated by Chinese state-owned policy banks, specifically the China Development Bank (CDB) and China Export-Import Bank, rather than the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
• There is a significant lack of transparency and formalized Environmental Social Governance (ESG) safeguards in BRI projects, as China often cites a 'policy of non-interference' to avoid imposing conditions on recipients.
• The BRI creates 'debt trap' risks where countries with poor public investment management may default on loans, potentially allowing China to take control of strategic assets, as seen with ports in Sri Lanka and goldmines in Tajikistan.
• The initiative threatens biodiversity and ecosystems, with specific concerns regarding freshwater biodiversity and tropical forests, such as the impact of dams on the Mekong in Cambodia and Lao, and roads in North Sumatra affecting the Tapanuli Orangutan.
• Despite the risks, the Chinese government has introduced the 'Guidance on Promoting Green BRI' (2017) and 'Ecological Civilization' goals to integrate sustainability into the initiative.

APA

Simonov, E., & Withanage, H. (n.d.). A Briefing on the Belt and Road Initiative. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-belt-and-road-briefing-EN-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Simonov, Eugene, and Hemantha Withanage. A Briefing on the Belt and Road Initiative. Friends of the Earth International, n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-belt-and-road-briefing-EN-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simonov |first1=Eugene |last2=Withanage |first2=Hemantha |title=A Briefing on the Belt and Road Initiative |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-belt-and-road-briefing-EN-WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simonovndbriefing, author = {Simonov, Eugene and Withanage, Hemantha}, title = {{A Briefing on the Belt and Road Initiative}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-belt-and-road-briefing-EN-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }