China's Belt and Road Initiative: Is it a threat to the United States?
Abstract
China's 2013 Belt and Road Initiative, a massive campaign to expand trade and to increase international investment, has the potential to replace the current U.S. led international economic order. Equipped with an array of sovereign wealth funds, development banks, and international partnerships, China's lending capacity and willingness to invest abroad demonstrates the country's eagerness to increase its influence in international affairs. China is making significant investments in constructing a dominant global supply chain connecting Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia by land and sea. This paper will analyze the economic and foreign policy implications of China's Belt and Road Initiative with respect to the United States.