Road to peace or bone of contention? The impact of the belt and road initiative on conflict states
Since it was announced in 2013, China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) has attracted significant attention from international observers, who have reviewed its impact on fields ranging from economic integration to geopolitics. However, the peace and security implications of the BRI have seen comparatively little interest, despite the heavy concentration of BRI-related investments in fragile and conflict-affected environments.
Through a mixture of interviews with experts and civil society representatives, an analysis of national media and relevant publications, and discussions with national and Chinese stakeholders, this report looks at the implications of the BRI in four countries: Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Pakistan and Uganda. The report, published by the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Saferworld, illustrates the complex relationships between BRI investments and conflict dynamics, and provides some practical suggestions on how to ensure that BRI projects are delivered with conflict sensitivity at their core.
