A Quantitative Analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

Purpose: The article aims to examine the effects of the Belt and Road Project (BRI) of China and its recent developments. Methodology: It does this by analyzing the effects Chinese investments have had on their largest beneficiaries. The article considers several factors such as transport, energy, and debt profiles of the countries after receiving aid under BRI. Findings: Through our analysis, we have found that the project is by far the most secure investment developing countries might have especially considering the diminishing aid of the USA and European countries. It is largely beneficial for both China and the beneficiaries encouraging economic growth. We have made our conclusions based on data reported through various research articles both domestic and international. These include but are not limited to papers from the SAIS-CARI website, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the World Bank, and the Boston University Energy Database. Recommendations: We recommend that in the future studies should be further conducted on the progress of BRI projects that have been started or planned in the future as well as the effects previous long-term investments are currently having on beneficiaries. Some research should also be conducted comparing the effectiveness of loans from the US and European countries when compared with Chinese counterparts