Belt and Road Initiative: the view from Asia-Pacific

Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong

The Asia-Pacific region has seen extensive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investment already, and promises much more. BRI continues to evolve despite current headwinds, including the global pandemic and trade disputes.

CMS has surveyed 500 people around the world who are actively involved in BRI projects, including 150 in Asia-Pacific. We are pleased to share the analysis of how their sentiment compares to others around the world. BRI’s 2019 ‘reboot’ as BRI 2.0 has increased its alignment with many current international business concerns, such as ESG principles and sustainability. 50% of Asia-Pacific respondents believe it will make BRI more open to non-Chinese participants.

Our survey reveals unexpected levels of uncertainty within APAC about some aspects of BRI projects. Can these potential difficulties be tackled in a way that will address concerns about issues such as transparency and sustainability, and encourage the greater involvement of international businesses that China hopes to see?

Our Asia-Pacific report examines issues including:

  • Difficulties in BRI projects experienced by Asia-Pacific participants, and the potential for resolving these.
  • The effects of Covid-19 on BRI.
  • Mitigating BRI risk and managing disputes.
  • Potential trends in the financing of BRI projects.
  • The sectors attracting the most interest among BRI participants.
  • The impact of BRI 2.0.

In addition to thereport, we are also pleased to include the link to the webinar which provides an overview of our results. Please click here to watch the webinar.

Please click here to access the full report.