BRI, G20, G7: The Frameworks Shaping Geopolitics

By Javier Estremera

In 2013, the People's Republic of China launched a significant initiative to transform the economic landscape of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. Thereby, breaking down financial barriers between neighboring countries to create a more cohesive transcontinental financial sector. The Belt and Road Initiative was formulated to facilitate transportation, improve telecommunications, and increase maritime capacity across its extensive network of projects. Each corridor encompasses multiple countries from around the world. Since its founding in 2013, the project has included eight corridor projects, five maritime route projects, and a new Canal project in Nicaragua.

China’s BRI project represents an innovation in taking a stronger initiative to transform the global economic landscape and a testament to the financial might of the Chinese state. Now, instead of countries building themselves from the ground up with no direct help, China is providing billions of dollars in funding for infrastructure across 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-world countries. These projects, however, have elicited mixed feelings among the public. These projects aren’t always as helpful as the government advertises. For example, an article posted by the “African Defense Forum” discusses the Nairobi Standard Gauge Valvue, a project that citizens find useless, as the actual railway serves no purpose for them. Additionally, due to poor oversight and inadequate regulation, many projects have caused massive environmental damage. Even though the BRI receives heavy criticism from other countries and their citizens, it has absolutely cemented the People's Republic of China’s geopolitical influence over the Continent of Africa, with many developing nations signing on in hopes of expediting their development.

On the other side, we have the G20 and G7. Although created by the same group of alliances, the strategies these organizations implement do not have the same impact as the BRI. While the BRI is a single country investing billions of dollars in various international projects, the G20 and G7 focus on more methodical economic investments and projects. Both groups were created solely to counter the BRI and formed an American/European development group that could invest substantial sums in Africa. The difference between these two lies in the member states that make up both the G7 and the G20, as they define each organization’s mission. The G7 is composed of 7 major economic powers: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Italy, and was established to tackle global economic issues. The G20 comprises 19 countries and the European Union, accounting for 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade. These countries are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and the same G7 members.

References:

WANG, Christoph NEDOPIL. “Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).” Green Finance & Development Center,

greenfdc.org/countries-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-bri/. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.

Adf. “Kenya Feels Financial Squeeze of China’s Standard Gauge Railway Loans.” Africa Defense Forum, 16 Oct. 2025,

adf-magazine.com/2025/10/kenya-feels-squeeze-of-chinas-railway-debt-trap/.

Ethiopia and Kenya Are Struggling to Manage Debt for Their Chinese-Built Railways,

qz.com/africa/1634659/ethiopia-kenya-struggle-with-chinese-debt-over-sgr-railways. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.