ABSTRACT
The Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013 by China, aims to improve connectivity and cooperation on a transcontinental scale. Since it was launched, BRI has grown into a multifaceted initiative which is aimed at furthering trade, financial integration, enhancing connectivity and development of infrastructure. Through this initiative, Beijing aims to connect the country’s hinterland to Europe through Central Asia. The BRI projects in Europe rest on four pillars—rail, road, maritime and digital routes. It tries to fill the gap in infrastructure development in the countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. These countries have emerged as the gateway for the BRI projects in Europe. While the Chinese investments in the infrastructure sector have been welcomed, the BRI has elicited mixed reviews within the continent. On the one hand, the countries of CEE have been the site for Chinese outreach with 17+1 summits, and increased investment in critical areas of infrastructure; the initiative has led to increased concerns in the other European countries, including in relation to transparency of funding, debt-traps. This chapter seeks to analyse the BRI projects in Europe, and looks at the narratives and counter-narratives within the European countries.
