“…This indicates that digitalization can serve as a tool to assist Belt and Road participating countries in enhancing their economic competitiveness while potentially restructuring the existing international trade and industry patterns. According to the literature, enhancing digital skills and expanding the local digital economy can drive industrial upgrading and strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic market(Maulana, 2023), thereby promoting innovation and improving the technology and services of local businesses and gradually reducing reliance on external entities, particularly Chinese enterprises(Ho, C. Y., 2023;.Based on the above analysis, Research Hypothesis 4: As the digitalization level of countries along the Belt and Road Initiative increases, these countries may gradually reduce their dependence on China in the digital field.…”