A notorious ex-gangster from China is launching an $18 billion economic development zone in Myawaddy, Myanmar under the banner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But experts say the project’s plans are centered on illegal gambling. If true, this could spell trouble for Beijing.
It is too early to know whether China’s Belt and Road will bring change, but for now, locals in northeastern China appear uncertain about the initiative and skeptical of its promises.
By traveling the length of China’s 4,300 km border with Russia, Ankur Shah aims to understand what China’s Belt and Road Initiative means for daily life along on the border.