BRI, New World Order and Latin America |
The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has once again come into the spotlight with the emergence of the “New World Order,” which seeks to control territories, resources and energy sources while bypassing the so-called rule-based world order primarily through the UN, Security Council, WTO, World Bank and IMF.
Simultaneously, the BRI has emerged as a defining pillar of China’s global shared prosperity and one of Xi Jinping’s four global initiatives, transforming countries, communities and enterprises around the world. It enjoys staunch support from the Global South and has become the largest source of FDI, socio-economic integration and trans-regional connectivity across South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. However, the West’s hegemonic pressures threaten to compromise the BRI’s pace, scope and utility during 2026 and beyond.
The BRI has not only facilitated physical connectivity through roads, railways and ports but also cultivated a new political and diplomatic architecture where mutual respect and shared prosperity define engagement. Developing nations have thus repositioned themselves as equal partners in global politics, forging stronger alliances and asserting influence in multilateral platforms. Significantly, China’s approach emphasizes respect for national sovereignty and domestic political structures. Nations long subjected to Western financial paternalism have found a partner in China willing to engage without imposing ideological conformity.
Comparative studies reveal that the BRI’s socio-economic and political dividends in Latin America are equally profound. Venezuela, facing sanctions and political........