CHINA, March 9 -- THE Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinas global infrastructure strategy, having been in China and engaged with various institutions to help understand Chinas shared development vision, has become one of the most influential development frameworks shaping economic transformation in the developing world over the past decade.

Since its inception in 2013 by Xi Jinping, the initiative has financed and constructed thousands of kilometres of railways, motorways, harbours, power stations, and industrial parks across Asia, Europe, and Africa.

It has created new opportunities for economic growth, trade connectivity, and investment in many African countries currently facing infrastructure shortfalls.

For an extended period, Af...