Previous Year Question
‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of
African Union
Brazil
European Union
China
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
The Belt and Road Initiative—BRI is an international connectivity and infrastructure-development initiative launched by China. It was initially also referred to as One Belt, One Road—OBOR.
China announced its two principal components in 2013:
Silk Road Economic Belt: Proposed in Kazakhstan in September 2013 as a land-based economic and transport connectivity network intended to connect China with Central Asia and eventually Europe.
21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Proposed in Indonesia in October 2013 as a maritime network connecting China with Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region, Africa and Europe.
Projects associated with the BRI generally cover:
Roads, railways, ports and logistics corridors.
Power plants, oil and gas pipelines and electricity-transmission systems.
Industrial parks and special economic zones.
Telecommunications and Digital Silk Road infrastructure.
Trade, investment, financial cooperation and people-to-people connectivity.
The BRI is not a single road or an individual infrastructure project. It is a broad China-led connectivity framework comprising both land-based and maritime economic corridors.
It is, therefore, associated with the affairs of China, rather than being an initiative of the African Union, Brazil or the European Union. The correct answer is (d).
India’s position
India has not formally endorsed the BRI. Its principal objection concerns the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—CPEC, a portion of which passes through Indian territory under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. India has emphasised that connectivity initiatives must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and financial responsibility.