AGENCIES/London

China’s Belt and Road Initiative a global security challenge China’s ambitious One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative is a global security threat, according to conclusions reached by various experts from renowned European think tanks. Addressing a seminar titled “China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its impact on Europe” held under the aegis of The Democracy Forum (TDF) at London University’s Senate House, TDF President Lord Bruce spoke about the global fears of Chinese hegemony surrounding the Belt and Road Initiative or the BRI. "Is it simply a trade and security network as conveyed by the Chinese," he wondered, albeit a hugely costly one that comprises at least six geographic corridors, or a “multi-headed hydra unashamedly aligned with national selfinterest”. In light of the huge hike in Chinese investment in the European Union (EU) in 2016, Lord Bruce said that the essential challenge for the EU was to maintain a collective front, in the face of China’s expansion.