The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global investment program and mega-project that aims to develop infrastructure and accelerate the economic integration of countries along the historic Silk Road. Currently, 71 countries that have one-third of the GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population participate in this initiative.

This initiative has three main parts:

1-The Silk Road Economic Belt 

This belt is actually a long-term land vision for infrastructure development and Eurasian economic cooperation, which includes the following six corridors:

• New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Carrier (NELBEC)
• China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor (CMREC)
• China – Central Asia – West Asia Economic Corridor (CCWAEC)
• China-India-China Peninsula Economic Criterion (CICPEC)
• Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIMEC)
• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

2-The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road 

• This project connects China to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, India, Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Egypt and Europe and includes South China Sea, Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

3- The Polar Silk Road     

 This plan includes China strategy in the arctic and the development of the Arctic Silk Road under the Belt and Road Initiative agenda.