The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a central theme of China's foreign policy, particularly in developing regions like Africa where it's linked to billions of dollars of infrastructure development. But when you ask Chinese officials "what exactly is the BRI?" no one really seems to have a definitive answer.It's a development agenda, a foreign policy initiative, a security strategy... and much more all mixed together.While it may seem counterintuitive, but that ambiguity/confusion is actually intentional, according to Jonathan Hillman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International and author of the new book "The Emperor’s New Road: China and the Project of the Century." Jonathan joins Eric & Cobus to discuss his journey along the BRI and why it embodies China's push for "incremental imperialism."JOIN THE DISCUSSION:Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProjectTwitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @hillmanjePurchase The Emperor's New Road: China and the Project of the Century on Amazon.com.SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAP'S DAILY EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR JUST $3 FOR 3 MONTHS.Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following:1. A daily email newsletter of the top China-Africa news.2. Access to the China-Africa Experts Network3. Unlimited access to the CAP's exclusive analysis content on chinaafricaproject.comTry it out for just $3 for 3 months: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.