China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), now heading into
its 7th year, is a hugely ambitious undertaking by China and
participating nations; with the aim of greatly improving regional
connectivity, facilitating trade and mutual understanding in the
regions.
As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) puts it, the "BRI
has great potential for China and participating countries. It could
fill large and long-standing infrastructure gaps in partner
countries, boosting their growth prospects, strengthening supply
chains and trade and increasing employment." With so much work
to be done, opportunities for commercial parties from China and the
rest of the world are plentiful.
However, with increased cross border transactions comes the
higher risk of disputes occurring. Parties to an agreement to a BRI
project are most likely to hail from different countries, raising
further difficulties regarding lack of familiarity with foreign
laws and regulations, along with other customs of
