GEOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF CHINA'S BRI IN THE LITTORAL REGIONS: A CONSCIOUS COMPETITION FOR THE FUTURE GLOBAL HEGEMONY

Abstract

This paper explores China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, as a major geopolitical and economic strategy designed to improve global connectivity across Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond. It focuses on the geopolitical implications of the BRI, particularly how China’s growing presence in littoral regions is shifting power dynamics and prompting new security concerns. At the same time, this study looks into the geo-economic effects of the initiative, including changes in global trade routes, challenges related to debt sustainability, and the influence of large-scale infrastructure projects on regional connectivity. The discussion also highlights how the BRI poses challenges to the existing global order, especially in the context of the ongoing U.S.-China rivalry, where concerns over economic dependency and strategic competition are becoming more pronounced. Using case studies of infrastructure investments and their political impacts, the study shows how China is using the BRI as a way to expand its influence and reshape global political and economic systems. While the initiative brings development opportunities for many countries, it also raises serious geopolitical risks and doubts about the long-term viability of such large investments, especially as global skepticism continues to grow.