Introduction of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Eurasian Continent

This chapter introduces and analyses the aims and results of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Eurasia. As this study argues, for China, the BRI is crucial for utilising its economic capabilities to advance development, avoid stagnation, enhance continental interconnectivity, and increase economic influence in Eurasia. The main aim is to create a China-centric pole. For other participant states, it is important, as they are receiving investments from China and strengthening interconnectivity with the second economy of the world, which provides them an opportunity to develop their economies. While offering opportunities, the BRI also intensifies great powers competition, which brings challenges for Eurasian middle and small states, complicating the current Multipolar World Order 2.0.