The China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by the Chinese government under President Xi Jinping, has often been a subject of intense global debate and scrutiny. The initiative, which aims to enhance global trade routes and infrastructure by connecting Asia with Africa and Europe through land and maritime networks, is portrayed by China as a mutually beneficial development strategy. However, it has also faced significant criticism, with many analysts and critics describing it as a modern form of economic colonization cloaked in the guise of developmental aid and cooperation.