The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a central theme of China's foreign policy, particularly in developing regions like Africa where it's linked to billions of dollars of infrastructure development. But when you ask Chinese officials "what exactly is the BRI?" no one really seems to have a definitive answer.

It's a development agenda, a foreign policy initiative, a security strategy... and much more all mixed together.

While it may seem counterintuitive, but that ambiguity/confusion is actually intentional, according to Jonathan Hillman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International and author of the new book "The Emperor’s New Road: China and the Project of the Century." Jonathan joins Eric & Cobus to discuss his journey along the BRI and why it embodies China's push for "incremental imperialism."

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Deciphering China's Belt & Road Initiative 56:05 Share

The China in Africa Podcast

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Deciphering China's Belt & Road Initiative