Book review: Rivers of iron: railroads and Chinese power in Southeast Asia by David M. Lampton, Selina Ho and Cheng-Chwee Kuik

In Rivers of Iron: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia, David M. Lampton, Selina Ho and Cheng-Chwee Kuik explore the allure and challenges of enhancing cross-border connections through a pan-Asian railway as part of a grand Belt and Road Initiative vision. With impressive breadth, this timely and ambitious book reveals how railroad projects are negotiated among actors with diverse interests and stakes in connectivity in both China and Southeast Asian countries, writes Kathrin Reed.