Digital Silk Roads: The Geopolitics of Tech Infrastructure in Emerging Asia

Abstract

This article examines the rise and geopolitical significance of the Digital Silk Road (DSR) the set of transnational digital and technological infrastructure projects linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative   and its implications for Emerging Asia. By combining political-economy analysis with case studies across South, Southeast and Central Asia, the study maps the DSR’s technical architecture (submarine and terrestrial cables, data centres, cloud services, 5G networks, satellites and platform ecosystems), the state-corporate actors driving expansion, and the institutional and financing mechanisms that underpin projects. It investigates how these investments reshape regional power balances through standards, data governance practices, and control of critical digital routes, while also assessing development opportunities (digital inclusion, e-commerce, smart city services) and strategic vulnerabilities (dependency, surveillance risk, regulatory capture). Using a mixed-methods approach   policy and document analysis, comparative case evidence and secondary data synthesis   the article argues that the DSR functions as both an economic connectivity project and an instrument of geopolitical influence. The findings highlight heterogeneous responses by recipient states, the emergence of competing connectivity offers from other major powers, and the need for policy frameworks that preserve technological autonomy while harnessing digital development benefits. The paper concludes by offering policy recommendations for balancing connectivity, sovereignty and development in the digital age.

Keywords: Digital Silk Road; Belt And Road Initiative; Tech Infrastructure; Geopolitics; Digital Sovereignty; Emerging Asia; Digital Connectivity