Most discussions about China’s massive Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) tend to focus on infrastructural projects that must be completed in order to connect an economically vibrant East Asia and developed Europe by land and sea and, in the process, bring growth and development to tens of countries along the modern Silk Roads. Professor Bala Ramasamy explains why improvements in the soft infrastructure are just as vital to ensure that trade routes operate seamlessly across the various corridors of the BRI.