China’s Belt and Road Initiative at Year Six
On April 25, the U.S. Institute of Peace held a conference that looked at the impact of China’s signature connectivity initiative on peace and security.
As a national, nonpartisan, independent Institute, the U.S. Institute of Peace draws on our exceptional convening power to create opportunities for diverse audiences to exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas necessary for creative solutions to difficult challenges. We serve as an important, neutral platform for bringing together government and nongovernment, diplomacy, security, and development actors, and participants across political views. The Institute’s events help shape public policy and priorities to advance peaceful solutions to conflict and strengthen international security.
On April 25, the U.S. Institute of Peace held a conference that looked at the impact of China’s signature connectivity initiative on peace and security.
USIP hosted a Bipartisan Congressional Dialogue with two members of Congress who see tension rising as cooperation recedes and the People’s Republic of China increases its malicious activity in cyberspace, expands its military capabilities and presence around the globe, and uses economic tools to gain strategic leverage and undermine democracy in fragile states.
For six months this year, USIP convened a group of 13 senior experts to examine China’s involvement in Myanmar’s internal conflicts—particularly those in Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan states—and peace process. On September 17, USIP hosted a discussion with the group’s co-chairs on the main findings of their report, which is the first in USIP’s China Senior Study Group series examining China’s influence on conflict dynamics around the world.
With international attention focused on a potential U.S.-North Korea summit meeting in May, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a surprise trip to Beijing in late March to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This conference will explore the dynamics and tensions of the historical relationship between China and North Korea, the potential impact of Korean reunification on China, and China’s role in a limited military conflict and its aftermath.
On December 7, specialists on China’s economic development and fragile states examined what the “China model” really is and whether China’s experiences can provide lessons on development for other countries, and discussed how Chinese investments and assistance might help mitigate or complicate local conditions in countries experiencing violent conflict.
On June 20, USIP held a discussion of the broad impact of Chinese investments in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Burma, whose stable evolution remains a U.S. interest.
On May 15, the U.S. Institute of Peace held a discussion of the region’s shifting geopolitics and ways current trends might line up with U.S. interests.
The U.S. Institute of Peace and the Carter Center hosted a daylong conference on April 11 examining concrete areas where the United States, China and Africa might work together to address some of the continent’s most pressing security challenges.
The U.S. Institute of Peace and Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies hosted a daylong conference on March 22 examining China’s impact—positive or negative—on local and international efforts to reduce violent conflict.
Pakistan’s minister of planning and economic development, Ahsan Iqbal—the cabinet official overseeing CPEC in his country—discussed this massive project at the U.S. Institute of Peace on February 3. Mr. Iqbal spoke to Pakistan’s outlook on its progress, its potential challenges and its implications for U.S.-Pakistan relations.