Once reliant on either Western or Russian terms, Global Majority countries now use China’s rise to demand better deals in nuclear development. 

China’s nuclear ambitions are evident in its growing presence across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Beijing offers a comprehensive package: technology, infrastructure development, power plant maintenance and financing throughout their lifecycle.

Contracts between China and recipient countries always grant extensive privileges and exemptions to Beijing, deepening Chinese presence. This growing network is often referred to as the “Nuclear Silk Road.”

Most analyses of the Nuclear Silk Road focus on China’s geopolitical goals. But an alternative view sees recipient countries not as passive targets, but as deliberate actors using Chinese investment to advance their own agendas. From Bangladesh to Egypt, from the Philippines to Kazakhstan, Global Majority countries are not submissive recipients of Chinese nuclear technology. They have figured out how to leverage competition between nuclear powers to secure better deals, enhance their international standing and break free from traditional diplomatic relationships.