Abstract:
BRI is an intricate global undertaking, with significant regional and international implications. The paper considers BRI’s economic, political, and social impacts on participating countries, not the least of which are former Soviet republics in Central Asia, small nations in Southeast Asia, African countries, and Latin America. It also looks at how major actors at the international level, such as think tanks, are involved. The paper has a mixed-methods design. It examines literature and policy documents and quantitatively assesses trade, investment, and media flows. The most essential results reveal that the BRI provides opportunities and challenges. It may represent an opportunity to enhance connectivity and development, but it can also trigger issues relating to debt sustainability, geopolitics, sociosustainability, and environmental efficiency. International responses to the BRI are divided along interpretations of its motivations and implications. The BRI is complex, and the assessment finds that it requires prudently managing gains and risks.

Keywords:
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Debt Sustainability, Economic Cooperation, Geopolitical Dynamics, Global Reactions, Infrastructure development, Regional Implications