Countering Connectivity: US Response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

This paper examines how China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping geopolitical arrangements in South Asia and critically analyses the strategic countermeasures undertaken by the US in response to China’s presence in the region. The paper takes a qualitative case-based approach to comparative analysis of the China-US interactions in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The sources of data are official policy documents, think-tank reports, and local media, which are interpreted in terms of document and discourse analysis. The BRI has enabled China to become a strategic powerhouse through its extensive infrastructure, IT corridors, and maritime presence. Counter-initiatives by the US, including B3W, PGII, and the Quad, are poorly disseminated and funded. Nevertheless, they also pointed to a changing strategic stance that involves turning to digital infrastructures, climate-aware investments, and partnerships to enhance sovereignty. The current research contributes to the discourse on connectivity geopolitics by offering a modern review of the US-China rivalry in South Asia. It provides a policy-relevant background for US efforts to enhance the region’s influence by offering multilateral, region-specific, and sustainable options to the BRI.