A Comparative Analysis of the G7’s Build Back Better World (B3W) Initiative as an Alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

Abstract

The Build Back Better World initiative, launched by G7 leaders, aims to provide a fair and more sustainable alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative for infrastructure development in developing countries. The B3W initiative, supported by the U.S. under President Biden, seeks to revitalize multilateral cooperation and contribute to the $40 trillion needed for infrastructure in lower-income countries by 2035. Although the details of B3W are limited, they are compared with China's BRI strategy, which focuses on trade, investment, and development across multiple countries. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, utilizing secondary data sources that include journal articles, data from international organizations, newspapers, and magazines. Data from many sources are gathered and organized into tables to offer coherent evidence supporting the claims. However, Biden’s plan has raised serious concerns. Can this anti-China coalition focus on collective norms to counter China’s influence? Will the launch of the B3W initiative offer an alternative to China’s BRI?