CDR Essential Intelligence: The Belt and Road Initiative

Welcome to the second edition of Essential Intelligence: The Belt and
Road Initiative.
The impact of the pandemic is still being felt when it comes to
travel, infrastructure and, of course, the Belt and Road Initiative.

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Welcome to the second edition of Essential Intelligence: The Belt and Road Initiative.
The impact of the pandemic is still being felt when it comes to travel, infrastructure and, of course, the Belt and Road Initiative.
COVID-19 stalled many projects, creating potential for conflict, but 2022 began with many countries still under some degree of travel or quarantine restrictions, especially in Asia. Although those have been gradually rolled back throughout the year, one side effect has been to delay potential disputes even further.
Key contributors to this publication gathered for a webinar in March 2022, considering some of the challenges in the conduct of Belt and Road disputes, and their solutions. What became apparent was that cases are steadily on the rise, even if there has not been the wave which was initially expected.
Moreover, the impact of the pandemic will be long-lasting in more ways than one. Virtual hearings, originally a temporary measure, are here to stay, increasing the capacity of arbitral institutions and providing a useful tool in many, though not all, circumstances.
Nearly two years of the Biden administration has done little to cool tensions between the West and China, and with the war in Ukraine directly impacting international supply chains and commodity prices, the impact on a major infrastructure project such as Belt and Road is bound to create more scope for disputes.
In an era of international tensions between East and West, there is plenty of uncertainty and legal questions to keep arbitration centres and courts busy in years to come, some of which are discussed in this book.
My thanks go again to Dr Colin Ong KC, Walter Chen SC of Grandall Law Firm and Stephen Jagusch KC of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan for their continuing support for this publication, and to all of our contributors for their insights.
For regular news and analysis from the world of international dispute resolution, please visit iclg.com/cdr.