While China’s Belt & Road Initiative initially focused on infrastructure development and major construction projects, its focus now has begun to shift as a result of growing criticisms about such issues as negative environmental impact, corruption, and excessive debts built up as a result of PRC financing practices.  In 2019, President Xi Jinping responded to these criticisms in a major speech in which he said China would address all of these criticisms head on and provide correctives.  As a result, Beijing has begun to emphasize S&T cooperation, technology transfer, and higher education and training as the new tools of diplomacy as China continues to engage and enhance ties with the BRI countries.  In this presentation, Dr. Denis Simon will highlight this new face of the BRI initiative and discuss some of the broader implications for China and the West in economic, political, and technological terms.