Central Asia and the Belt and Road Initiative: Considerations for the Philippines

Abstract

The BRI seeks to build on the legacy of the traditional Silk Road as a venue for peaceful trade and harmonious cultural exchange. While the BRI is framed as a noble endeavor based on mutual benefit principle, many scholars consider the initiative as China’s strategy to strengthen global economic leverage and assert its global leadership role. The great concern for Central Asia lies in BRI’s probability of worsening existing problems given the economic and socio-political environment of the region. Corruption entrenched in the political system, unemployment and social inequality, Islamic fundamentalism and ethnic tensions, and ecological degradation in Central Asia challenge China’s aspiration for Eurasian connectivity. China must convince many stakeholders, beyond public relations, that economic benefits far outweigh the costs.