July 30, 2019

At AEPF12 in October 2018, activists and researchers began discussing the nature of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its impact across Asia and Europe.

Since then more countries have signed up to the initiative (152 countries and international organisations in total) and scrutiny towards the BRI has intensified with high profile BRI projects accused of causing debt distress and environmental damage, and exacerbating existing conflicts.

In June 2019 in Amsterdam, AEPF had another exchange on the BRI with activists and researchers working on the BRI. We continued to explore our understanding of the initiative including the drivers of the BRI from within China, situating the BRI within the current context of hyperglobalisation and mega infrastructure, and the controversies surrounding BRI projects in both Asia and Europe.

AEPF will continue developing our understanding of the BRI, its impacts and successful strategies to resist unwanted BRI projects through further research, analysis and discussion.

With the BRI impacting on all AEPF thematic clusters, it is hoped that people from all six clusters will be involved in this process.

If you want to be involved in this process, please let us know by e-mailing Stephanie Olinga Shannon (s.olingashannon@tni.org).