Abstract

In our history class, we were taught that thousands of years ago the Chinese civilization made imperishable contributions to development. During the evolution of this brilliant multimillennial civilization, brave Chinese workers collaborated with neighboring Asian nations, Africa and Europe to create a path of building a productive relationship. This path that was created by these brave merchants from diverse regions were later referred to as the Silk Road. The Silk Road was just a trade, business and cultural route among multiple and diverse people from Asia, Europe, and Africa. In the 21^st century, the Chinese have re-introduced the Silk Road which is now the new development paradigm shift where a “handshake” is replacing a “handout”. I usually called it “handshake” and “multiplier initiative” because the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) deals with connectivity which is infrastructure. Infrastructure is a cornerstone of a stable and productive society that plays a major role in promoting growth and reducing poverty.