China, it seems, is making inroads all over the world. A sparkling “Belt and Road” initiative has connected or will connect Beijing with far flung metropolises, transit networks, and strategic ports. As the web of influence, or at least talk about it, grows, Washington is increasingly worried — and countries have a new negotiating strategy.

When the United States was clearly perched on top of the world following the collapse of the Soviet Union, what Washington offered was likely the best deal to be had. Now that China has proven itself an economic challenger, touting a new political and economic model rivaling that of the West, countries are no longer left with only one option.