What is the BRI?

BRI is short for China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. "B" is the first letter of Belt, referring to Silk Road Economic Belt, "R" is the first letter of Road, referring to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road; "I" is the first letter of Initiative.

The BRI comprises a Silk Road Economic Belt -- a trans-continental passage that links China with Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land -- and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting China's coastal regions with Southeast and South Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Africa, all the way to Europe.

BRI is an inspiration from the concept of the Silk Road established during the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago -- an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. The aim of BRI is to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks along six corridors.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) defines five major priorities:

Policy coordination;

Facilities connectivity;

Unimpeded trade;

Financial integration;

People-to-people bond.