Policy brief
Published:
“BRIexit”: Unravelling Withdrawals from the Belt and Road Initiative
Summary:
Twelve years into the launch of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), over 140 countries have joined, but a few have left. These withdrawals, or BRIexit, though limited in number, raise crucial questions about the prospect of Beijing’s flagship initiative and the shifting geopolitical landscape in which it operates. What explains the withdrawals? More importantly, has there been any impact on the legitimacy of the BRI? Whilst some BRIexits stem from economic calculations, others reflect changing state preferences or mounting external pressures—trends that could reshape the BRI’s future, especially under a more aggressive second Trump administration.
- Published year: 2025
- Publisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
- Page count: 4
- Language: English
- Volume: 2025
- Booklet: 30
Written by
Lunting Wu
Senior Research Fellow