Future of Belt & Route Initiative in the post COVID-19 world

Abstract

China’s Belt and Route Initiative has challenged the traditional concepts of development. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the prospects for the projects launched in recent years in various ways, making some of their key features irrelevant for the times to come and paving ways for leading the world through innovative ways in the fields of health and technology. China has successfully utilized its industrial might to cater to the needs of the health sector across the world providing essential support to the pandemic-hit countries. Provision of digital technology that is fast necessitated by the changing world is another sector the country is taking a lead in. Pakistan being a key player in the BRI is facing its own dilemmas in the fast-changing world around it and need to increase its pace not only to catch up anymore but also to revive. This policy review highlights the situation and the challenges and proposes steps that can help maintain Pakistan’s stakes in the project that many in the world are looking up to.