Conclusion: A Research and Policy Agenda for the Belt and Road Initiative

Building on the insights generated by the Routledge Handbook of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia, this concluding chapter provides insights on geopolitics, institutionalisation, digitalisation, and sustainability of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The first section argues that even in the Multipolar World Order 2.0 when the geopolitical interests of great powers collide in Eurasia, the BRI still plays a vital role in the interconnectivity of different regions of the continent. The second section analyses possible positive and negative effects of the institutionalisation of the BRI. As it explains, on the one hand, settling the BRI as an institution will make its work more effective in achieving the developmental goals. On the other hand, it can bring confrontation with the West, and other states would have to choose between the East and the West, limiting their manoeuvrability. The following section explains that geopolitical confrontations also shape the global spread of information technologies, development, and smart cities. It argues that in the future, they will stand as the main locomotives of the BRI. Section “Digitalisation” recommends pushing the BRI to achieve better sustainability performance, environmental justice, and fairer and more sustainable outcomes. It concludes that these directions examined in the Routledge Handbook of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia can help develop new policies to benefit China and all participating countries, communities, and people.