Christian Ploberger is an Academic Researcher and Lecturer at the International Studies Program, Department of Political Science, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Soavapa Ngampamuan is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Thailand. Tao Song is Associate Professor at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.

• 1. Introduction and overview. I THE REGIONAL LEVEL 2. Regionalisation, regionalism and sub-regional integration processes: the Mekong River Basin and BRI. 3. Addressing the Mekong sub-region rising energy demand: implications for sub-regional investment strategies 4. Southeast Asia’s raising energy demand Central Asia and the BRI II INDIVIDUAL COUNTRY FOCUS 5. Thailand’s 4.0 development strategy in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative 6. Examining Laos’ Policy Responses to BRI 7.Potentials and challenges in addressing Cambodia’s development challenge: integration China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the GMS process III CHINESE PROVINCIAL LEVEL 8 .Yunnan, the nexus hub between China and Southeast Asia, in the context of BRI 9.Guangxi: Multi-regional Cooperation along the Belt and Road

"A refreshing, and important analysis on the origins, purpose and impact of the BRI [… this book] debunks many of the hyperbolic assessments about the BRI and shifts the attention and empirical analysis to domestic politics and considerations. In so doing, it uncovers a wealth of information regarding sub-regional Southeast Asia’s receptivity to and interest in the BRI."- Chin-Hao Huang, Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Review in The China Quarterly (doi:10.1017/S0305741024000031)