What role do the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS play i

Q: What role do the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS play in China's strategy to withstand US economic pressure?

A:

BRICS is not China’s initiative, and is not a geopolitical tool of China. Saying BRISC plays in China’s strategy to withstand US economic pressure is a groundless insinuation. China does not dictate to BRICS. BRICS is for its members, not only for China. Whatever is good for all members of BRICS is on the BRICS agenda.

BRI started in 2013, before the US trade war against China in 2018. BRI was launched not to withstand the US economic pressure. BRI is a project of South-South cooperation, helping the Global South to grow.

In short, BRI and BRICS play no role in China’s strategy to withstand the US economic pressure. BRICS may react to the US suppression, but that is not just for China. It is for the right of growth of all members of BRICS. At the very beginning, the US has been trying hard to sabotage the BRI. So don’t put the cart before the horse. BRI is not a strategy to resist the US pressure. BRI is a win-win cooperation in the Global South, and the US wants to sabotage it, but failed.

BRI and BRICS to China are not the same as the IMF, the World Bank, NATO, etc to the US. Many of the world's institutions are US tools to maintain the US hegemon. There are conflicts between the US and China, but those conflicts are the US’s initiatives, not China’s. China never wants to have conflict with the US. China has long been promoting are relationship of no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation with the US. Yet, the US views the relationship with China as a zero-sum game. BRI and BRICS playing a role in the Sino-American relationship is a perception of the US. It is the hegemonic mentality and the cold war mentality that created such a perception, not the reality, and not China’s intention and plan.

Building ports, bridges, and roads in Africa has nothing to do with the US and the Sino-American relationship. Trading among BRICS members has nothing to do with the US and the Sino-American relationship. Both BRI and BRICS are cooperations based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. No party coerces or enforces the cooperation. Every project a well consulted and negotiated between the sovereign countries of the cooperation, aimed at promoting the prosperity of the developing countries, not for any cause about the US.

The US should comply with the UN Charter and not interfere with the BRI and BRIDCS. BRI and BRICS are legitimate cooperations between sovereign countries within international law. BRI and BRICS play no role in anything with the US.