Beyond trade & investment : a contextual analysis of the misgivings over the 'B & R' practices

![CDATA[While the ‘One Belt One Road’ (hereinafter ‘B & R’) Initiative and its practices are welcome by many (especially the business communities) in many countries, various concerns and questions have also been raised by governments and/or their agencies, NGOs, local communities and, of course, academics. These misgivings, often broader in nature than that of economic issues, range from questioning the motivation of the Initiative to concerns for actual welfare of local communities, as well as debating on development models. At a strategic level, the stake is high as the ‘B & R’ Initiative is seen as a geo-political and geoeconomic strategy, requiring repositioning and rebalancing of powers from all concerned. For the ‘B & R’ Initiative to be successful, participants – governments, business, or other parties – must take these misgivings seriously. We need to analyse them objectively and respond to them carefully. This paper examines these concerns and questions, often expressed in apprehension and misgivings, in context, but from a distance and as an outside observer. It is suggested that participants in the ‘B & R’ Initiative look beyond trade and investment issues in decision-making, considering not just supportive views but also misgivings raised by all interested parties, as trade and investment are indeed much more than trade and investment per se.]]