China's Belt and Road Initiative Funding Shortfall in Southeast Asia

China has faced challenges in fulfilling its infrastructure spending commitments in Southeast Asia, with a new report indicating that it has only delivered on slightly over a third of its projects, leaving a shortfall of more than $50 billion. The Belt and Road Initiative, a flagship program by Beijing, has encountered obstacles such as political instability and the global energy transition, resulting in the total expenditure in the region dropping to $29.6 billion between 2015 and 2021.