China Connects: About

IISS China Connects virtual interactive tool presents the scope of Chinese connectivity lending and investments worldwide, spanning from traditional physical infrastructure projects to digital projects.

The tool visualises independently researched and verified datasets on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Digital Silk Road (DSR). These datasets were generated using a methodology that emphasizes officially labelled BRI and DSR projects. It further includes projects that lack official labels but are characteristic of Belt and Road Initiative projects — and thus are “BRI-Like” — providing users with a holistic understanding of global Chinese connectivity projects.

The platform allows users to explore the evolution of these projects over the past two decades. Users can also draw correlations between the projects and recipient countries’ digital penetration, sovereign debt stock and governance measures, based on World Bank data included on the interactive map.

The China Connects platform is a research tool relevant for those in government, industry, the media and academia who are interested in acquiring a comprehensive view of China’s outbound lending and investment in the infrastructure sector.

The information provided on this platform offers a selective set of evidence from the broader IISS database. Users may contact the IISS China Connects team with bespoke research requests for in-depth analysis and greater detail on projects covered.

For any questions or inquiries regarding the website, please email [email protected].