The Belt and Road Initiative

China's Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is a call for an open and inclusive model of sustainable international economic, political, and cultural cooperation and development that draws on the cultural connotations of the ancient Silk Road(s). The aim is to establish a new type of international relations centered on win–win cooperation and common development achieved through the advancement of connectivity in a multiplicity of fields and to contribute to the creation of a community with a shared future. This entry outlines the evolution of the BRI, its relationship to changing conditions in China and the world, and its multilateral financial architecture. Attention is then paid to criticisms of the BRI and recent reform initiatives.