The Relevance of Money and Power in the Belt and Road Initiative, and Implication for 16+1 Platform

Grand strategy used to be a military strategy for winning a war and destroying an enemy that represents a threat. Throughout time grand strategy evolved into more a modern comprehensive strategy that involves more economy and soft power than military. Relevance of power and money in the Belt and Road initiative is important because it is exactly a type of modern grand strategy that would be applied in certain parts of the world without using military force. In this context, what is Belt and Road Initiative and what is the rationale behind it become important issues to consider. Furthermore, we explain the role of money and power in this initiative and how that reflects on the 16 + 1 platform. The Belt and Road Initiative should not be looked as a comprehensive paradigm rather as a set of smaller components and different interests. That is why this paper focuses on money and power on China`s side and then on the 16 East and Central European countries and why they accept this initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative is an adaptable grand strategy to project power in different parts of the world and to create political leverage that can be used in the future to achieve political goals in the fast changing geopolitical environment of the 21st century.