Abstract: The grand “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), comprising various routes by land and by sea, is a globally oriented outreach strategy intended to connect China with the world. Essentially, the BRI is about global outreach, connecting the world with China as the core hub. The initiative is known in Chinese as “Yi Dai Yi Lu” (“One Belt, One Road”) but in practice, it encompasses multiple routes along the BRI, connecting various specific countries and regions, transportation modes and industrial sectors. China has the financial resources, the technology, the manpower, and most importantly, the political will and strategic vision to support infrastructure development in developing countries. Nevertheless, the BRI is currently at a crossroads. The tremendous enthusiasm for the promise of increased infrastructure connectivity and trade promotion under this initiative has begun to subside. Indeed, the implementation of the BRI has faced various practical issues and serious challenges. Full text available here.