China’s Belt and Road Initiative is an ambitious program to build infrastructure and increase connectivity among countries throughout the world.  It has now been more than five years since the wide-ranging Initiative was launched, with public commentary about it becoming increasingly polarized.     

This event aims to offer evidence-based research insights into the actual implementation of Belt and Road projects around the world to move beyond ideological debates to critically assess the successes and disappointments of the Initiative and discuss ways to make the Initiative more impactful moving forward.  Presentations will be made by leading researchers from HKUST engaged in a multiyear research project on the Belt and Road Initiative featuring in-depth quantitative and qualitative research.  

The event will be organized around two panel discussions that address hotly debated issues related to the Belt and Road Initiative.