In a speech at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Xi Jinping proposed building a Silk Road Economic Belt, a foundational step that later merged into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework.
During a speech in Indonesia, Xi Jinping proposed a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, pairing the maritime concept with the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and setting the stage for the later unified BRI branding.
China announced it would establish a US$40 billion Silk Road Fund, creating a dedicated financial vehicle to support connectivity and investment projects associated with the BRI.
The Silk Road Fund was registered as a limited liability company in Beijing, formalizing the institution that would later make equity and other investments aligned with BRI-related priorities.
China and Pakistan launched the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), widely described as a flagship BRI corridor, through a large package of agreements and memoranda signed in Islamabad.
Prospective founding members signed the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) Articles of Agreement in Beijing, advancing a new multilateral development bank often discussed alongside BRI-era infrastructure finance.
The AIIB Articles of Agreement entered into force, marking the bank’s formal establishment and enabling it to begin operations as a major infrastructure-focused multilateral lender in Asia and beyond.
China convened the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, elevating the BRI into a recurring, summit-level diplomatic platform for project, policy, and financing discussions.
Finance ministers released Guiding Principles on Financing the Development of the Belt and Road, emphasizing risk management, transparency, and sustainability concepts (including attention to debt sustainability) in BRI-related financing.
A resolution of the 19th CPC National Congress incorporated advancing Belt and Road development into the Communist Party of China’s Constitution, signaling the initiative’s elevation within China’s top political framework.
China hosted the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, a larger multi-day gathering used to announce deliverables and promote what China described as higher-quality cooperation under the BRI framework.
During the second Belt and Road Forum period, partners launched the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC), aiming to integrate environmental and sustainability considerations into BRI-related projects.
China held the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, positioned as the initiative’s 10th-anniversary summit and used to present updates on “high-quality” BRI cooperation.
Belt and Road Initiative: Global Infrastructure Diplomacy (2013–present)
