There is a worldwide need for infrastructure development to generate economic prosperity in underdeveloped regions. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has estimated that, by the current economic growth rates, there is a need of an additional $1.7 trillion per year for the infrastructure development of the Asia-Pacific region alone. Amounting to a significant gap in funding, and this is where the BRI comes into place with the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB).
This research aims to explore the Chinese motive behind the development projects in Laos and Cambodia by the use of a multi-theoretical framework. It places the development projects of Beijing, inside the periphery, into a grander scheme of actions to clarify Chinese ambitions and goals.