Why China's Belt and Road Initiative is not Exactly as it Seems.

In the last four decades, China has seen unprecedented growth in economics, education, and overall quality of life. This growth was a shock to most of the world because it contrasted with the isolated agrarian society China had been living under for centuries after its peak during the Qing period when Chinese territory reached its greatest extent and the political atmosphere of the nation was relatively stable.

So how does this connect with modern-day China's growing influence in Asia in Africa you might ask. Well to fully understand China's "Belt and Road Initiative", you must understand The Silk Road.

Overview of The Silk Road

The ancient Silk Road was a massive trade route connecting Asia to Africa and Europe which came to be during China’s Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Its name famously came from the desired product of Silk that could only come from China. This trade route ran through Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as modern-day India and Pakistan. The Silk Road routes extended more than four thousand miles to Europe.

The Silk Road connected the once isolated country of China to the rest of the world. It carried silk, spices, tea, ivory, cotton, wool, precious metals, and more throughout the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. This trade ushered in a time of economic growth for China and helped fund mega projects like the famous Great Wall of China. Use of the route peaked during the first millennium, under the leadership of first the Roman and then Byzantine Empires, and the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) in China.

This economic growth did not continue though. China had been facing a problem with The Mongols who were a nomadic tribe living in modern-day Mongolia and parts of modern-day Russia. The Mongols routinely attacked traders on The Silk Road, ransacked villages, and ultimately took the whole nation of China over and t one point in time. With all of this danger, and advancements in technology meaning that trade with China was not as necessary. Many nations opted out of using The Silk Road.

How The Ancient Silk Road Relates to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

With China's economy booming, and military might being at the highest it ever has, President Xi Jinping announced The Belt and Road Initiative. He announced this massive infrastructure plan during official visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia in 2013. There were two plans included in Xi's announcement. The first one being the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the second one being the Maritime Silk Road. Later on, they began being referred to as simply The Belt and Road Initiative.

President Xi Jinping's plan is to reinforce China's control of trade in the region by recreating the success of the ancient Silk Road. The Belt and Road Initiative outlines projects in over sixty countries such as railways, energy pipelines, highways, and streamlined border crossings. The Belt and Road Initiative's impact can already be seen, especially in Africa where China lists 39 African countries on The Belt and Road Initiative's official website.

In total China has spent US$143 billion in Africa, with around half of these loans given in just the last four years. This money is being put towards railways, airports, stadiums, and electricity systems in Africa. Xi does not question these countries' governments before dolling out checks which makes him particularly attractive to some African leaders who can not usually get money from other world superpowers.

Some are questioning the reasons behind these loans, why?

From government officials, professors, economists, and just regular people, there has been a lot of skepticism about the real reasons being The Belt and Road Initiative. Many see President Xi Jinping's plan as what economists call a "debt trap". A debt trap is when a wealthy country lures poor, and or developing countries into agreeing on unsustainable loans to pursue infrastructure projects so that, when they experience financial difficulty, the wealthier country can use the poorer country's debt against them, subsequently trapping them, with the wealthier country able to use them for economic or military benefits.

People see the BRI as a debt trap because it specifically invests in countries that do have the ability to quickly pay China back. For example, Sri Lanka currently has a USD 8 billion debt to China, and instead of paying it off, Sri Lanka agreed to lease one of its ports to China for a whopping 99 years. This all while Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic downturn since gaining independence in 1948.

With many of the African nations, China has invested in not having the ability to quickly pay back loans, economists see a possibility of China gaining more economic, military, and even political sway in the region. China has repeatedly responded to these claims saying they are false. When asked President Xi Jinping said:

The BRI may be China's idea, but its opportunities and outcomes are going to benefit the world. China has no geopolitical motives, seeks no exclusionary blocs, and imposes no business deals on others

While there is no clear answer as to if China's Belt and Road Initiative is going to be used as a debt trap, we do know that historically China has always had special interests when it comes to the loaning of money and I believe that the BRI is no different.