The Infrastructure Mirage: Why BRI Success Depends on Governance, Not Giga-Projects
In 2013 China launched the most ambitious project to reshape the global landscape development that is “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”. It was meant to create a new Silk Road which will guarantee connectivity between the continents through infrastructure, trade and cultural exchange around Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. Today BRI has expanded to more than 150 countries but still after billions of investments there still lies a critical question “Are these projects truly transforming economies or are they mirages of progress lacking effective governance to sustain them?”
The Vision and Its Achievements:
The core vision of BRI is to promote economic growth and cooperation among the partner countries and the results are quite impressive in many countries. In 2021 the inauguration of the China-Laos Railway reduces the time of travelling from Vientiane to the Chinese border from two days to just three hours and in Greece modernization of Piraeus Port under Chinese management which is now the busiest maritime hub are striking examples of how China initiatives are working to promote economic trade, tourism and cooperation among countries.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was formally launched in April 2015, is a flagship project under BRI which includes significant infrastructure development, energy projects and creation of employment opportunities. These achievements of BRI show that when governance structures function properly they can produce long term benefits.
When Ambition Meets Reality:
It is always a point of concern why all BRI projects are not success stories but some serve as case studies due to poor planning, flawed governance and debt mismanagement. The most controversial example of this is Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka which was constructed with Chinese loan approximately $ 1.2 billion over multiple phases but still it was commercially unsuccessful and didn’t generate enough revenue forcing the Sri Lankan government to lease it to China for 99 years. Similarly, Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) costing over $ 3.6 billion also became a failure which deepened Kenya’s debt burden. These cases showed that due to weak governance well intentioned projects can also become liability on a country. Lack of accountability, transparency and efficiency can lead to financial distress and public discontent.
The Missing Link: Governance
The failure or success of BRI projects don’t lie in Chinese financing or engineering; it depends on the governance capacity of partner countries. Good governance including transparency, accountability, efficiency, rule of law and participation of citizens determines whether a project strengthens national development or weakens it. For instance, Kazakhstan–China oil pipelineshows how good governance can contribute to job creations, economic growth and cooperation while poor governance can reduce it to the illusion of development.
Lessons For Pakistan:
As Pakistan is developing under the CPEC framework there are three main strategies: transparency, institutional coordination, and the public that ensures success and defines governance for its long term results. Transparency and accountability are essential to build trust, confidence and to prevent corruption and dishonesty issues. All contracts, loan terms and progress reports of projects should be available to the public and the government should do their auditing to ensure that all the resources are being used effectively and responsibly. Institutional coordination and capacity building is also equally important. All the government departments from lower to higher level should work together to avoid bureaucratic delays and to build managerial and technical skills among people for the proper monitoring and implementation of projects. The last one is public participation and environmental responsibility. These projects must serve the local community by creating job opportunities, promoting local businesses, exchanging skills and promoting a green and sustainable environment. By adopting these strategies CPEC can become a long- term, more resilient and beneficial project for generations to generations.
The Roadmap: From Concrete to Credibility:
The BRI is entering a new phase of growth now. First its vision was only to build mega projects but now it also focuses on good governance, quality and sustainability. China’s recent emphasis on “Green BRI” or “High Quality BRI” shows that sustainability and transparency are no longer options but now they have become an integral part for credibility. Now the partner countries are also focusing on stronger governance standards, local benefits and fairer terms.
The Belt and Road Initiative has evolved a lot now it has not only changed the view point of partner countries but other nations as well. The true progress cannot be measured by the number or size of railways, ports or power plants. It lies how these projects are working for environment sustainability, community empowerment and strengthening governance. If countries like Pakistan follow good governance it will not only boost connectivity among continents but also ensure uplifting of communities.
The long-term success of BRI is not dependent on how bridges are built but on trust, integrity and good governance.
