The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflections published on 8 January 2021 a paper titled "China's Belt and Road Initiative: Navigating a Geopolitical Landscape Impacted by COVID-19" by Philani Mthembu.
The paper argues that despite immediate negative effects of COVID-19, key domestic and global drivers of the Belt and Road Initiative remain as relevant during the pandemic as they were prior to the onset of COVID-19. While lockdowns have had a negative impact on some of the BRI projects, China is likely to see the BRI as even more important in navigating a post-pandemic global order.
