The BRI and China’s Soft Power Strategy: Implications of the Digital Silk Road for South Asia

Abstract

Representing a distinctive dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Digital Silk Road was initiated by Chinese authorities in support of information and communications technology (ICT) projects to promote digital applications and transnational connectivity. Despite the nature and impact of the BRI fast becoming a hot topic in public debate in recent years, academic analysis of the Digital Silk Road has so far remained sparing. Guided conceptually by the soft power theory, and with a focus on the roll out of the BRI’s invisible (or virtual) dimension along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and beyond, this paper addresses three questions. First, in what context was the Digital Silk Road conceived? Second, what role does the Digital Silk Road play in the geopolitics in South Asia? Third, does the Digital Silk Road herald the beginning of Chinese colonialism in South Asia or it actually represents a countermeasure against the colonial legacies of western powers? Following a brief discussion on the concept of soft power and the emergence of China as a digital power, we offer an analysis of the impact of the Digital Silk Road in Pakistan upon regional politics. This is complemented by an assessment of the potential implications of the on-going PEACE project for China’s place vis-à-vis that of Western powers in South Asia and beyond. The paper concludes with some remarks on the changing world order of communication in the context of the BRI in general and the Digital Silk Road in particular.