One Belt One Road (OBOR)

One Belt One Road (OBOR), also called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a large-scale Chinese infrastructure and economic program to improve connectivity and cooperation across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Launched in 2013, it aims to build transport, energy, and trade links that revive and expand routes between China and partner countries.

What OBOR includes

OBOR combines two complementary components:
* Silk Road Economic Belt (the “Belt”) — primarily land-based corridors linking China with Central Asia, Russia and Europe via roads, railways and pipelines.
* 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the “Road”) — sea routes connecting China’s coast to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean through ports and shipping infrastructure.

The initiative covers dozens of countries (commonly cited as roughly 78) and funds projects such as highways, rail lines, ports, power grids, and oil and gas pipelines.

Major economic corridors

OBOR’s land network is often described in six corridors:
* New Eurasian Land Bridge — Western China to Western Russia.
* China–Mongolia–Russia Corridor — North China to Eastern Russia via Mongolia.
* China–Central Asia–West Asia Corridor — Western China through Central and West Asia to Turkey.
* China–Indochina Peninsula Corridor — Southern China to Singapore via mainland Southeast Asia.
* China–Pakistan Corridor (CPEC) — southwestern China through Pakistan to Arabian Sea routes.
* Bangladesh–China–India–Myanmar Corridor — Southern China toward India via Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The maritime route links China’s coast to the Mediterranean through Singapore–Malaysia, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

China’s goals and financing

OBOR serves several strategic objectives for China:
* Promote economic development and market access for Chinese industries.
* Integrate and stimulate less-developed border regions (e.g., Xinjiang) by increasing trade and investment.
* Secure shorter, cost-effective export and energy routes.
* Channel excess industrial capacity into overseas infrastructure projects.

China has pledged large-scale funding for BRI projects—publicly announced commitments have exceeded hundreds of billions to around a trillion dollars—often delivered as low-cost loans, investment funds, and contracts through Chinese state-owned banks and firms.

Examples and early impacts

• Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have supported OBOR projects tied to power and transmission investments.
• Nepal has pursued agreements to improve cross-border connectivity with China.
• The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project—valued in the tens of billions of dollars—designed to link western China with the Arabian Sea.

Geopolitical and economic considerations

While China frames OBOR as a mechanism for shared development, many countries and analysts view it as also advancing China’s regional influence and strategic presence. Key concerns include:
* Potential over-reliance on Chinese financing and companies.
* Influence over trade routes and regional infrastructure decision-making.
* Debt and governance risks in participating countries if projects do not generate expected economic returns.

At the same time, successful projects can expand trade flows, infrastructure capacity, and the use of regional currencies, potentially increasing the international footprint of the Chinese yuan.

Key takeaways

• OBOR/BRI is a broad, multi-decade Chinese initiative to build land and maritime transport, energy and trade networks linking Asia, Africa and Europe.
• It consists of a land-based “Belt” and a sea-based “Road,” organized into major corridors and numerous infrastructure projects.
• China funds much of the program through loans and investments, aiming to boost domestic growth, open markets, and project regional influence.
• The initiative offers development opportunities for partner countries but also raises geopolitical and financial concerns that vary by project and country.