3 Sino-Russian Competition: The Reshaping of Central Asia

In September 2013, Xi Jinping announced the launch of a Chinese-led megaproject, the Belt and Road Initiative, that would transform Asia’s position within the global economy. Some ten years on, the BRI, while facing significant obstacles, has gone from strength to strength. How has China’s BRI diplomacy affected its image across Asia? What does the BRI mean for Sino-US competition? Will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and footprint in the region hinder the BRI’s success? Addressing these questions and more, the authors of China Moves West offer a critical appraisal of how the BRI is progressing, how it is being perceived, and how it is navigating challenges in the geopolitically sensitive regions of Central, South, and West Asia.