<scp>BRI</scp> as cognitive empire: Epistemic violence, ethnonationalism and alternative imaginaries in Zomian highlands

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become the lodestar of Beijing's efforts to increase its global political economic influence. This article interrogates BRI discourse, arguing that normative adoption narratives as a means for making sense connectivities between China other places risks producing new forms epistemic violence against subaltern populations. The empirical focus this paper is on China-Laos relations, positioning highland ethnic minority groups in northern Laos. context offers valuable case study examining discourse due to: (a) profound effects Chinese investment Laos; (b) geostrategic importance Laos ‘gateway’ Southeast Asia; (c) deep histories engagements across (d) limited extant research both relations more localized actors within border regions.