The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China's two-prong attempt to construct a new Silk Road. The first prong is the overland Silk Road Economic Belt. The other is the Maritime Silk Road. Both are being undertaken simultaneously and are said to one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever attempted by man. Here is a map showing the grand scope of the project. The BRI is intended to be a vast network of railways, seaports, gas and oil pipelines, and highways built by Chinese companies and labor. China also wants construct up to fifty special economic zones along its Silk Path modeled after its own Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Over a trillion dollars is expected to spent on these projects by 2027.  So far, sixty countries have signed up for the BRI or have expressed an interest in joining it.  Most countries involved with the BRI are developing ones. They are looking for Chinese financing (loans) for infrastructure in the hopes of spurring...(Read Full Article)