The US and some countries see China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by President Xi Jinping in late 2013 when he visited Central Asia and Southeast Asia, as an aggressive Chinese expansion move. However, there is more than meets the eye. For better understanding, one needs to assess it from China’s perspective in the context of the global geopolitical development. Arguably, the BRI started off as a defensive strategy. But as geopolitical tension between China and the US intensifies since 2018, the BRI has turned offensive to counter external hostilities.