What is the strategy behind the Belt and Road initiative ? A study on Chinese investments in Europe.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a global, wide, and flexible long-term strategy. It became a priority for the Communist Party of China (CPC) since the strategy was included in the 13th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development in 2016 (Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, 2016). A plan which guides the economic policies of the People’s Republic of China and defines the different objectives and measures for the next five years. One year after, the 19th CPC National Congress decided to incorporate the BRI in the Constitution (Xinhuanet, 2017). Yet, before the BRI was mentioned in the 13th Five-Year Plan or incorporated in the Constitution, the strategy was already present in the thoughts of the CPC leadership for a long time and particularly in Xi Jinping’s.