From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The
Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI), also known as the
New Silk Road
, is a plan by the government of the
People's Republic of China
to build
infrastructure
for transportation, from China to other countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
[1]
The project was announced in 2013. The "Belt" means the
roads
and
railway tracks
on land.
[2]
The "Road" means
sea
routes
.
[2]
At first, it was called "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR, Chinese: 一帶 一路 / 一? 一路, pinyin: Yidai Yilu).
[3]
A
high-speed railway in Thailand
is part of OBOR; the
Bangkok-Phitsanulok High-Speed Railway
is under
construction
(as of 2017).
The idea has always had its critics. There has been criticism about human rights violations and environmental impact. In the main, the critics do not expect most recipient countries to pay China back. In many cases there is not the slightest chance of repayment. Secondly, some (many?) of the railways are quite obviously "railways to nowhere". This is clearest in Africa.
[4]
"Some 150 countries have signed on to the Belt and Road with China, including 22 in Latin America", media said (2024).
[5]