The End of the Chinese Century? : How Xi Jinping Lost the Belt and Road Initiative

When Xi Jinping introduced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, he envisioned it as a grander, more ambitious project than America’s Marshall Plan, one that would revive the legendary Silk Route on a massive scale. The BRI laid out two expansive pathways: an overland “Silk Road Economic Belt” connecting China to Europe through Central Asia, and a “Maritime Silk Road” that echoed ancient trade routes across the Indian Ocean. Xi’s goal was not just to re-establish China as a global trading superpower but to assert its position as the world’s leading nation, rivaling the United States.

Yet, a decade on, not every nation in Asia and the Pacific shares Xi’s enthusiasm for a China-dominated future. Countries like Sri Lanka and Laos have found themselves in debt traps due to BRI loans, while places like Thailand and Central Asia have been resistant to Chinese investment. Meanwhile, in regions such as Pakistan, resistance has erupted into open hostility toward China’s influence.

In The End of the Chinese Century?, journalist Bertil Lintner examines the history and trajectory of the BRI and China’s broader expansionist aims. With an expert’s insight, Lintner explores the project’s uncertain future and what its potential collapse might mean for China’s ambitions—and for India, which remains a powerful counterweight to China on the world stage.