‘We Don’t Drown our Partners in a Sea of Debt’: U.S. Policy Responses to China’s Belt and Road Initiative

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-400
Author(s):  
Edward Ashbee
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
White House ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Policy Alternatives ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Close Cooperation ◽  
Policy Communities

Abstract Whereas the Obama administration had equivocated, the Trump White House declared its vehement opposition to the Belt and Road Initiative (bri). This shift went together with the Trump administration’s designation of the People’s Republic of China (prc) as a strategic competitor and a broader deterioration in bilateral relations. However, as it began to posit alternatives to the bri, the Trump administration fell back on the policy thinking of the established foreign policy community. In doing this, it tacitly accepted the importance of soft power and the adoption of strategies requiring close cooperation with allies and partners so as to develop regional infrastructural “connectivity” projects. The White House thereby stepped back from the unilateralism, “principled realism,” and reliance upon hard power that had defined Donald J. Trump’s 2015–2016 presidential campaign. Nonetheless, U.S. efforts to develop policy alternatives to the bri were limited, unstable, and variegated. The Trump administration’s actions in other policy arenas often stymied efforts to counter the prc and initiatives such as the build Act and “Prosper Africa” received scant resources. On the basis of this policy pattern, the article argues that policy communities at times can “harness” other counter-positioned, political currents, but ongoing ideational stresses and abrasion will inevitably characterize the process.

China Economic Relations with Mauritania in the Age of the Belt and Road Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86
Author(s):  
Mordechai Chaziza
Keyword(s):  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Main Argument ◽  
Islamic Republic ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
The Past ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Western Hegemony ◽  
The Belt And Road

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have maintained steady bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1965. This study examines China’s economic relations with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in the Belt and Road Initiative era. Over the past years, the PRC has been increasing its presence and engagement with Mauritania’s economy and presenting itself as a reliable financial and investor partner. The main argument is that the PRC’s relationship with Mauritania is based on shared or mutual commercial interests, especially Mauritania’s economic development, industrialization, and social development through integration in the BRI framework. China has collaborated with Mauritania both bilaterally and multilaterally, mainly through the BRI framework, and is also expanding its political power and influence in the country at the expense of Western hegemony.

The Belt and Road Initiative: Goals and Challenges

2020 ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Adnan Khalaf i Hammed Al-Badrani ◽  
Hind Ziyad Nafeih
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Power Lines ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Ancient Silk Road ◽  
Main Engine ◽  
The Belt And Road

The Belt and Road Initiative is an initiative to revive the ancient Silk Road, through networks of land and sea roads, oil and gas pipelines, electric power lines, the Internet and airports, to create a model of regional and international cooperation.       It is essentially a long-term development strategy, launched by the Chinese president in 2013 to become the main engine of Chinese domestic policy and foreign diplomacy and within the framework of the soft power strategy, to enhance its position and influence in the world as a peaceful and responsible country.   The study includes identifying the initiative and setting goals for China, as well as the challenges and difficulties that hinder the initiative.

scholarly journals Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Blues: Powering BRI Research Back on Track to Avoid Choppy Seas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc F. Blanchard
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
The Road ◽  
Political Costs ◽  
Maritime Silk Road ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
On The Road

AbstractThis piece examines and critiques the massive literature on China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It details how research currently seems stuck on the road to nowhere. In addition, it identifies a number of the potholes that collective research endeavors are hitting such as that they are poorly synchronized. It also stresses that lines of analysis are proliferating rather than optimizing, with studies broadening in thematic coverage, rather than becoming deeper. It points out that BRI participants are regularly related to the role of a bit player in many analyses and research often is disconnected from other literatures. Among other things, this article recommends analysts focus on the Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI) or Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) in specific regions or countries. It also argues for a research core that focuses on the implementation issue (i.e., the issue of MSRI and SREB project implementation), project effects (i.e., the economic and political costs and benefits of projects), and the translation issue (i.e., the domestic and foreign policy effects of projects) and does work that goes beyond the usual suspects. On a related note, research need to identify, more precisely, participants and projects, undertake causal analysis, and take into account countervailing factors. Furthermore, studies need to make more extensive use of the Chinese foreign policy literature. Moreover, works examining subjects like soft power need to improve variable conceptualization and operationalization and deliver more nuanced analyses. Finally, studies, especially by area specialists, should take the area, not the China, perspective.

China’s Soft Power in Pakistan: The Representation of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor in Local Newspapers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Zahid Shahab AHMED ◽  
Ahsan HANIF ◽  
Baogang HE
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Local Newspapers ◽  
Newspaper Reporting ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Belt And Road

This article conducts a case study of China’s influence on Pakistan by collecting and analysing news coverage from two prominent English and Urdu newspapers in Pakistan for a five-year period between 2013 and 2018. It compares the changes in newspaper reporting before and after the launch of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2015. Analysis has shown a significant increase in positive reporting on the CPEC and China. The case of Pakistan is representative of its recognition of China’s soft power in a developing country, thus offering a new perspective on China’s goodwill vis-à-vis the Belt and Road Initiative.

scholarly journals Does the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Align Private Firms with the Goals of the People's Republic of China's Belt and Road Initiative?

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-76
Author(s):  
Jeffrey B. Nugent ◽  
Jiaxuan Lu
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Model ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
Private Firms ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Business Association ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Industry And Commerce

This paper demonstrates that the largest business association of private firms in the People's Republic of China (PRC), the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), has induced its members to help achieve the goals of the PRC's extremely ambitious but risky Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since its inauguration in 2013. Through its newspaper, the ACFIC has drawn the attention of its member firms to countries participating in the BRI, which has led to increased trade between provinces in the PRC and BRI-participating countries emphasized by the ACFIC's newspaper. The results show that the PRC's exports have been encouraged substantially more than its imports, which could be a cause for concern for the sustainability of the BRI. The results were obtained through various specially designed versions of the gravity model and have shown to be robust to the use of various methods for mitigating possible estimation biases.

scholarly journals Tendencies and Prospects of China’s Investments into Russian Regions

2019 ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Victoria Batmanova ◽  
Ellada Tikhonovich ◽  
Tatyana Chigareva ◽  
Yuan Lyudai
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Direct Investments ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Russian Regions ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Government ◽  
The One ◽  
Investment Process ◽  
The Belt And Road

The article examines the growing role of China in global investments. During 15 years of economic development of the country, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) became the second country in the world acting as a recipient of investments and the second (third) investor sending its funds abroad. After the maximum volume of foreign direct investments (FDI) from the PRC in 2016, 2017 was marked by the drop of FDI. This is connected with China’s control over FDI withdrawal from the country, increasing protectionism from other countries and the aggravating situation for Chinese investors in foreign markets. The drop of investments is connected with a number of reasons. On the one hand, the government of China has strengthened the control over the capital drain from the country in the form of investments. Another reason is the growth of trade protectionism. The complicating external conditions for Chinese investors in connection with the policy of the USA are also worth paying attention to. The 19th National Congress of China mentioned “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) strategy as the main plan for organizing the investment process in the nearest future. Today the effort concentration process (investments into infrastructure, interaction with the countries along the new economic silk belt) is observed. Russia and its regions are included into the Northern corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative and can leverage the advantages of the cooperation with China. China has already invested funds into perspective projects in Russian regions and in the nearest future they are expected to grow within the Belt and Road Initiative.

scholarly journals The Economic Effects Of Chinas Belt And Road Initiative On Selected Southeast European Countries

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Grossmann ◽  
Samuel Grossmann ◽  
Samuel Grossmann ◽  
Samuel Grossmann ◽  
Samuel Grossmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Labor Laws ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Eu

During the current political atmosphere in Europe with rising nationalism and the fact that for the first time in the EUs history a country plans to leave the union, Montenegro and Serbia still face lots of challenges before they will be able to become EU member states. Until then it is likely that they will continue to look for fast and, at least on the first look, uncomplicated and unproblematic financing methods. The low bureaucratic hurdles and the fast implementation of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects will continue to be a lucrative alternative to the funds provided by the EU. That these advantageous parameters are also caused by the bypassing of EU regulations, as well as national laws on tendering, procurement, safety or labor laws are partially circumvented. The 16+1 format could be a good way to coordinate these investment flows across European borders. But it also poses challenges to the cohesion of the EU as a whole through the growing influence of China through its financing activities and a wide range of other soft power activities in the East and Southeast European countries involved in the format.

scholarly journals Does Saudi Arabia Benefit From China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Khaled Mohammed Alqahtani
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
Vision 2030 ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
Trade Deals

The People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoy close and friendly relations and share broad common interests-regardless of their ideological differences, evident in their names. China’s Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at developing infrastructure projects and declining transportation costs to interlink cross-border trade deals between China and countries along the routes. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a central hub connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, has been a significant part of the initiative. Moreover, Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries that have responded positively to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI brings China much closer to Saudi Arabia. As BRI’s linchpin in the Middle East, dose Saudi Arabia benefit from this initiative? Based on the elaborate analysis of main research question, this study reveals that the BRI offers great potential opportunities for the Kingdom in terms of infrastructure construction, energy cooperation, technology and finance, culture exchange, security and defense. In addition, China could collaborate with Saudi Arabia in a significant number of sectors where Saudi and Chinese strengths are complementary. The deeper Sino-Saudi cooperation can also brighten the prospects for Saudi Vision 2030. 

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