China’s increasing influence over the Mekong subregion in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

The article is aimed at analyzing China’s increasing influence over the Mekong
subregion in the context of Beijing’s “The Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) in recent years. Based
on examining the actual situation of China’s growing influence over the Mekong subregion
in various fields, the article identifies their goals, including immediate goals and long-term
strategic ones, in the sub-region. Besides, the study illustrates that China uses the BRI as a
relatively effective tool to grow its influence in the region.