Part 2/15:

However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a heavy shadow over these plans. The global health crisis disrupted supply chains, halted construction, and imposed economic stress on participating nations, raising questions about the sustainability and future of this formidable initiative.

The Core Components of the Belt and Road Initiative

Fundamentally, the BRI is a vast infrastructure network comprising roads, railways, ports, energy pipelines, and border crossings. Its core aim is to bolster trade routes, particularly by expanding westward through Central Asia—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—regions critical for their strategic location and resource wealth, especially in China's Xinjiang province.