China's Belt and Road Initiative

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a massive infrastructure project (aka. the New Silk Road). The goal is obvious: extend China's power by facilitating trade and opening new markets for goods and services - westward and southward.

Here's the catch: these projects are funded via loans from China to the participating countries. And of course China expects a return on that investment. If the countries cannot repay the loan, then China takes over the project (e.g. Sri Lanka's Hambantota port) and thus establishes its presence. Thus, some view the BRI as a 'Trojan Horse' to dominate the rest of Asia.

There is also a scientific side of the BRI as described here: How China is redrawing the map of world science (Nature, 2 May 2019).