Tracking the Digital Component of the BRI in Central Asia, Part One: Exporting “Safe Cities” to Uzbekistan Publication: China Brief Volume: 21 Issue: 3 February 11, 2021 06:14 PM Age: 1 month Image: A 2018 demonstration of Huawei’s “City Brain” urban big data management platform during the Fourth China Smart City International Expo in Shenzhen, Guangdong (Image source: China News Service).
Introduction Following the 2013 announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at a speech given by People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping during visit to Kazakhstan, Central Asia has been a key regional priority and an indispensable element for the success of the BRI as a whole (PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, September 7, 2013). Over the years, the BRI—nebulously defined from the start—has come to be associated with a variety of policy and investment programs. A previous series of articles has covered security-related developments associated with the BRI aimed at maintaining stability and protecting economic investments across the region (China Brief July 15; October 19; August 12).