Belt and Road Initiative
一带一路 | |
Topographic map of the Belt and Road Economic Corridor and its pathway cities | |
| Abbreviation | BRI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2013 (inception) |
| Founder | China |
| Legal status | Active |
| Purpose | Promote economic development and inter-regional connectivity |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
| Location |
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Main organ | Belt and Road Construction Leadership Group National Development and Reform Commission |
| Website | www |
| The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road | |||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 丝绸之路经济带和21世纪海上丝绸之路 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 絲綢之路經濟帶和21世紀海上絲綢之路 | ||||||||||||||
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| One Belt, One Road (OBOR) | |||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 一带一路 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 一帶一路 | ||||||||||||||
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| China portal |
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI or B&R), also known as the One Belt One Road (Chinese: 一带一路; pinyin: Yīdài Yīlù) and sometimes called the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure and economic development strategy of the government of China.
The initiative was launched by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping in 2013 while visiting Kazakhstan. It aims to invest in over 150 countries and international organizations through six overland economic corridors and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The BRI is central to Chinese foreign policy, promoting trade connectivity and China's leadership role in global affairs. As of 2025, participating countries account for nearly 75% of the world's population and over half of global GDP, based on aggregated membership and international economic datasets. The initiative is widely described as having the potential to enhance global trade, connectivity, and economic growth, particularly in developing economies. At the same time, it has been associated with concerns regarding environmental impact, human rights and governance standards, debt sustainability, and the dual-use nature of certain infrastructure projects.