China’s Belt and Road Initiative Surges to Record $213.5 Billion in 2025
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China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) saw a dramatic increase in investment, reaching a record $213.5 billion in 2025 – a three-quarters jump from the previous year. This surge signals Beijing’s intent to capitalize on perceived shifts in global influence and expand its economic footprint through large-scale development projects.
The expansion of the BRI, launched in 2012, is being fueled by a focus on gas megaprojects and green power initiatives, according to new research from Australia’s Griffith University and the Green Finance & Development Center in Shanghai. Last year, Beijing signed 350 deals, a significant increase from the 293 deals worth $122.6 billion finalized in 2024.
This investment boom coincides with escalating trade and technology tensions between the US and China, which are disrupting global supply chains. Furthermore, geopolitical instability stemming from military interventions is impacting energy markets worldwide. “Global trade and investment volatility will potentially spur further investment for supply chain resilience and alternative export markets for Chinese companies,” explained a China energy and finance expert at Griffith University and the study’s author.
The BRI has already established China as the world’s largest bilateral creditor, partnering with 150 countries. The latest figures bring the total cumulative value of BRI contracts and investments to $1.4 trillion since its inception. The growth in 2025 was particularly driven by substantial projects, including a gas development in the Republic of the Congo spearheaded by Southernpec, Nigeria’s Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park led by China National Chemical Engineering, and a petrochemical plant in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, a joint venture between Tongkun Group and Xinfengming Group.
“The megaprojects are something we hadn’t seen before,” the expert noted. He added that developing nations are increasingly placing their trust in Chinese firms to execute projects on a larger scale. “Twelve years ago, these companies were a lot smaller. Now with increased size they can take on larger projects — and they need larger projects for growth,” he said. “The willingness to trust China, from the infrastructure planners and policymakers, is substantive.”
Energy-related projects accounted for $93.9 billion in investment last year – the highest figure since the BRI’s launch and more than double the amount invested in 2024. This included $18 billion allocated to wind, solar, and waste-to-energy projects, highlighting China’s leadership in clean technology. Investment in metals and mining also reached a record high of $32.6 billion, with a significant portion dedicated to minerals processing abroad, demonstrating Beijing’s strategy to secure long-term resource access. A surge in investment in copper was particularly notable in the latter half of the year, driven by the growing demand from data centers supporting the boom in artificial intelligence.
However, this expansion isn’t occurring in a vacuum. One analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies observed an “emerging pattern” of China strengthening ties with countries possessing resources crucial for excluding the US from its supply chain. “China’s overseas engagement is increasingly focused on strategic sectors that support self-reliance, supply-chain resilience and technological integration,” the analyst stated. He further suggested that Beijing is learning from recent US actions, such as those in Venezuela and threats against Iran, and is seeking to “reduce exposure to external leverage before crisis hits.”
The sheer scale of the BRI also raises concerns about the ability of participating countries to manage their growing debt obligations to Beijing. A 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service highlighted issues such as unsustainable debt, opportunities for Beijing to gain concessions, opaque loan terms, and a lack of reciprocal market access for BRI partners. The report also pointed to investments in strategic sectors and infrastructure that could potentially compromise civilian and military interoperability.
The CRS further noted the increasing difficulty Western analysts and officials face in tracking and analyzing the BRI, describing it as an “umbrella initiative” complicated by China’s use of onshore financing and special purpose investment vehicles. “.
As China continues to expand its global influence through the BRI, the world will be watching closely to see how these investments reshape the geopolitical landscape and the economic fortunes of participating nations.
