China's Belt and Road Initiative at Year Six

China will host its second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on April 26-27, two years after hosting its inaugural forum that was attended by dozens of world leaders and put a spotlight on Beijing’s massive signature initiative and its global leadership ambitions.

This conference features two panels: The first discusses cross-regional trends and concerns about BRI, alternatives to the Chinese model of investment and development, and strategies for increasing the sustainability of international development efforts. The second panel examines the on-the-ground impact of BRI in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa and implications for conflict dynamics in these regions.

Panel 1: Toward High-Quality Projects: Comparing BRI’s Implementation to Global Standards

Samantha Custer
Director of Policy Analysis, AidData

Scott Morris
Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Development Policy Initiative, Center for Global Development

Pauline Muchina
Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator, Africa Region, American Friends Service Committee

Fei Yu
Deputy Representative, North American Representative Office of the Asian Development Bank

Patricia Kim, moderator
Senior Policy Analyst, China Program, U.S. Institute of Peace

 Panel 2: BRI’s Impact on Local and Regional Dynamics: Force for Stability or Driver of Conflict?

Brian Harding
Deputy Director and Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Khin Khin Kyaw Kyee
Lead Researcher, Institute for Strategy and Policy – Myanmar

Paul Nantulya
Research Associate, Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Andrew Small
Senior Transatlantic Fellow, Asia Program, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Jacob Stokes, moderator
Senior Policy Analyst, China Program, U.S. Institute of Peace