China’s BRI and (lack of) peacebuilding in the Mid East
ITALIAN INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL STUDIES
Can China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) help resolve some of the conflicts in the Middle East? Could it provide the means for building peace in the region? Such questions may become more pressing in the coming years. Over the past decade the Middle East has become less stable, the result of relative American military and economic decline alongside weak and collapsing regional states which were more exposed to insurgent and radical groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Despite the hopes associated with the BRI, the short answer to the questions posed above is probably no. Certainly the BRI with its focus on the (re)construction of infrastructure from roads to ports to power stations may seem appealing for those countries looking to rebuild after years of devastation and war. Indeed, China’s leaders have stressed the mutual benefits for themselves and partner countries who choose to join. No surprise then that by the beginning of this year, every country in the Middle East and North Africa had expressed interest in becoming a part of the BRI.
