The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was one of the most grandiose development projects in the modern world history, initially introduced by China in 2013. It aimed at reviving the historic Silk Road by developing ports, highways, railroads and energy corridors to connect countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) had assured many nations of prosperity, employment, and trading opportunities, especially the developing ones. The main focus of the initiative in the first decade was physical infrastructure or its concrete.
In this century, the BRI is currently entering what is being described as its second phase that is said to be a shift away to the concrete to the connectivity. The following chapter is on building bridges of sustainability, technology and cooperation rather than placing more bricks or pouring more cement. The change is also a response to the transformation of the world, where emphasis on physical growth has been replaced by emphasis on smart, inclusive, and smart environmentally-friendly development.
At the time when the BRI was first started, the scale of success of the program was determined by the volume of kilometers of port or trains constructed. Roads ran through mountain ranges and deserts and made some parts of the world that had never been connected before alive. These projects symbolized China as more powerful and capable of enhancing the formation of the world infrastructure. However, since the program was established, China and its partners realized that connectivity is a process of linking people, economies, and cultures in a sustainable manner and not necessarily a matter of infrastructure.
This transition is illustrated in the Phrase of Concrete to connectivity. The second phase of the BRI aims at establishing a human, digital, environmental and physical network. As an example, the element of digital connectivity now plays an important role. Through the concept of the Digital Silk Road, countries are collaborating in terms of fiber-optic connectivity, digital payment, data centers, and e-commerce. This digital infrastructure is availing communities that are far in between to the world of healthcare and education facilities and helping small businesses to access customers in foreign countries.
Sustainability, however, has become one of the major aspects of this strategy. Primary protest against the BRI was on debt and environmental contamination. China and its allies have acquired the lesson of the past and are currently working on renewable energy, green development, and open-minded financing. Central Asia wind farms, solar parks in Pakistan, and clean transportation projects in Southeast Asia exemplify how the second stage of the Belt and Road Initiative is led by the commitment to the long-term feasibility and climate responsibility as opposed to short-term profitability.
The migration also possesses a human aspect. The new meaning of connectivity is related to linking the hearts and minds – increasing student exchange, tourism, cultural cooperation and sharing of knowledge. Chinese and other partner countries are offering scholarships to BRI students, encouraging scientific work, and developing talent that will be able to sustain cooperation in the future. This manner makes BRI become more of a bridge not only in the commodities, but ideas, innovation and understanding as well..
This development is also a manifestation of the emerging reality of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how fragile our systems are and the importance of the global cooperation now. The future of the BRI is determined by the capability to address common problems such as pandemic or food insecurity and climate change. The examples of the ways BRI can be used to address the real needs of people instead of only political or economic goals include projects that enhance digital health, sustainable access to energy, and disaster resilience.
Nevertheless, there are no obstacles on the way. To ensure successful completion of the second phase, confidence, honesty, and equality should be at the forefront of all the endeavors. They should involve the local population in making decisions that impact them. The projects should address the national interests, protect ecosystems, and offer equal economic participation. There can be no real connectivity without reciprocity. As the initial decade of the BRI entailed establishing physical foundations, the second decade should focus on establishing moral and cooperative foundations.
Finally, the second stage of the Belt and Road Initiative is an embodiment of the new vision of development, the development that will be measured not only by the number of infrastructures built but also by the number of opportunities and innovations introduced into the lives of people. It suggests that the world will be more successful when we know how to connect than when we are able to create faster. This vision of sustainability is hopeful as we head to the year 2030: being connected does not necessarily mean being dependent and development does not necessarily mean discharging waste on the environment. Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) can be an example of how international cooperation should work in the future provided that countries cooperate respectfully and responsibly and have a shared objective.
The second step is the introduction of knowledge, culture and compassion in such ports and roads since the concrete is built. The second stage in the BRI is converting the physical ties into the human ones, which can be possibly its most significant legacy.
Participant of ICSF-UoS Fellowship Program 2025-26 at University of Sargodha.
