China’s Belt and Road Initiative: an analysis of its role in global peace, development, and implications

Abstract

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the grand strategy that interlinks the regions in the common chain of trade and economy. The paper investigates whether China’s rise through this initiative is peaceful or whether the claims and worries of the U.S., India and Japan are true that it is rising as a hegemonic and aggressive country. The descriptive-analytical method is being used in this research work. China is growing, particularly through this global interconnectivity initiative. Its economic and political influence is greatly increasing. It connects the countries in an initiative that boosts their economic and social development and peace. It is an initiative of equal benefits and considerably growing interdependence among the states and non-state actors. It constructs a world that has common interests and common security. The new trend growing between China, U.S., India, and Japan consists of competition and friendly cooperative relations. China’s main priority is bringing peace, development, and a better standard of life to its people first. It does not want to repeat the history when its people were smashed badly during the opium war of 1840 and Japan’s occupation in World War II. It does learn the value of peace from its past.