This report, titled "Beyond the Myths – Towards a Realistic Assessment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative: The Security Dimension," examines the security implications of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from a governance, grievance, and security perspective. The report is the second of two, with the first report focusing on the financial aspects of the BRI. The authors of this report, Dr David F. Gordon, Haoyu Tong, and Tabatha Anderson, argue that the BRI is not just a economic project, but also a security project. They explore the risks and challenges associated with the BRI, including the potential for the initiative to be used for extremist and terrorist purposes, the impact of the BRI on China's security interests in Southeast Asia, and the BRI's cyber dimension. The authors also provide a case study of Pakistan to illustrate the challenges and uncertainties associated with the BRI. Overall, the report provides a comprehensive and nuanced assessment of the security dimension of the BRI, and highlights the need for a more realistic and nuanced understanding of this important global initiative.
