This chapter provides an explanation on the business opportunities arising from a number of shared economic objectives of ASEAN and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It provides an overview of the role of economic agreements and national laws in ASEAN countries participating in the BRI and introduces the importance of dispute settlement tools in dealing with conflicts which may arise from projects and transactions related to the BRI. The chapter also introduces findings from an empirical survey of businesses operating in ASEAN in relation to their dispute settlement needs and approaches. It then discusses a range of risks facing businesses in such projects and transactions, as well as other emerging initiatives such as the US' Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the EU's Global Gateway, and signals new directions and opportunities for addressing such risks and attendant disputes.
