The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a central pillar of China’s expanding global engagement, with varying effects across different regions. At this event, researchers from the De:link//Re:link consortium and beyond will explore the diversity of Chinese engagement across Central Asia, Afghanistan, East Africa, and South Asia. We examine how local actors perceive and respond to China’s activities, how local agency shapes the outcomes of Chinese engagement, and how the BRI and China’s broader international activities adapt to changing geopolitical contexts. By connecting local perspectives with wider geopolitical developments, the event will offer policy-relevant insights into the evolving nature of China’s engagement.

Panel 1: Local Perspectives on Chinese Presence and Local Agency

• Kadara Swaleh (Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO))
• John Njenga Karugia (Humboldt-Universität)
• Tanya Talwar (Humboldt-Universität)
• Nadia Ali (bicc - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies)
• Moderator: Kai Kresse (Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO))

Panel 2: Chinese Engagement and Geopolitical Change: Narratives, Perspectives and Adaptation

• Katja Mielke (bicc - Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies)
• Valentin Krüsmann (ZOiS)
• Steven Langendonk (Helmut Schmidt Univ./Univ. der Bundeswehr Hamburg)
• Temur Umarov (Carnegie Russia Center)

The event forms part of the third-party-funded De:link//Re:link project: https://www.delink-relink.de/