Joining the Belt and Road Initiative would be politically impossible for the United States, given its current standing with China and the rest of the world. Not only that, but it would be unsustainable for the current U.S. to participate, and ineffective given its equal economic stance to China, despite its large debt. Joining the Belt and Road Initiative would also be seen by many in the international community as the United States officially conceding economic and developmental dominance to China. Taking direct action against the Belt and Road would also not be optimal—tariffs, sanctions, annexation, invasion are all too drastic actions, and would paint the U.S. as the needless aggressor, particularly when the issue at hand doesn’t require the amount of overkill. It is also unclear if these options would be successful in the first place. Neutrality, while tempting to take, does not serve the U.S. well in the long term, as it would just be passively standing by as China excels and surpasses us. In order for the U.S to not only keep up with China’s rapid expansion of influence, there is only one viable option for us to take. It's recommended that the United States take the necessary steps to create its own global initiative. The goal of this groundbreaking initiative would be to challenge the PRC’s perceived hegemony on infrastructure projects in developing nations, present the world with an alternative economic future based on American ideals rather than state control, and to greatly aid the U.S. reemergence as a dominant global power willing to shape the future of humanity for the better. Below, I have outlined a plan for the early stages of this initiative. The following are countries and economic blocs I believe would readily join the economic plan and should be approached first: The EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Panama, Chile, Colombia, Peru, South Korea, Kenya, Brazil, Philippines, New Zealand and Nigeria. This list, however, is only tentative and should be taken as a starting point, able to be changed if wished at any point in time. Similar to previous economic treaties like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and proposed treaties like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the first order of business for an economic operation of this magnitude is to clear the drawing board by abolishing previous tariffs and regulations prohibiting free trade between member countries. The U.S.’s primary motivation should be seeking to embed itself as much as possible into invited countries. Like China, the most effective strategy would be to invest and buy trade rights to key infrastructure in member nations. American institutions, like the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), could be expanded to have a wider range of operations. One of the most important early steps would be to revitalize its foreign diplomacy and insert itself once again on the global stage, this time as an economic ally rather than a military one. After 2016, the United States has seen a shortage of diplomats as key diplomatic positions are left empty. I recommend the United States work immediately to swiftly refill these empty positions to ensure that the country has a voice in important foreign decisions. Despite the grand vision of this initiative the United States does not find itself in the same position that the People’s Republic of China is in. It is not a possibility for America to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to directly counter the BRI. Rather, the United States should focus on key infrastructure investment and presenting developing countries with a powerful economic bloc that promises more freedom and national sovereignty. The United States should also invest in the private sector of developing countries to emphasize local growth and self-sufficiency, which will, ultimately, allow these states to become less reliant on Chinese manufacturing and industry. Rather than divestment and isolation, combating a snake growing as quickly as the Belt and Road Initiative requires quick action and bold moves. The US cannot afford to lose its power stronghold from lack of work: it must move fast but with caution to bring in a new age of blooming economic cooperation. Its initiative will not only paint the US in a positive light, thereby repairing its reputation as an outgoing, benevolent state, and show that it is willing to take risks for the betterment of the world. In the long run, it will be good for its economy as well, as a type of remedying done to heal it post-Covid.
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May 2022
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