ABSTRACT
Launched in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) encompasses two main programs: The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In both cases, improving connectivity between China and its partners along the route is one of their main goals. Whereas the former aims to improve overland connections, the latter focuses on maritime routes. The rationale of the BRI is a heavily debated topic in academia, think tanks, and public media since its birth. Even if most of the literature on the BRI follows a rational actor model in its analyses, it is evident that different sectors of the Chinese administration are involved in its development and implementation. Land transportation is the backbone of the Silk Road Economic Belt, which has spurred a significant increase in railway connectivity between China and the rest of Eurasia.
