scholarly journals Features of Perception of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Slovak Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-222
Author(s):  
Anton Kalyuga
Keyword(s):  
Slovak Republic ◽  
State Level ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
Visegrad Group ◽  
The Belt And Road

The article is part of the research related to the perception of the Belt and Road Initiative of the PRC in the Visegrad Group countries. It presents results of discourse analysis on perception of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Slovak Republic in government and expert circles and data from a sociological survey on the attitude of Slovaks to the Chinese initiative. The results show that the Slovak perception of the Belt and Road Initiative is pragmatic and focuses on possible economic benefits from participation in the initiative. The experts are not oblivious to the political and economic risks associated with China’s expanding influence in the region, which makes the Slovak discourse rather balanced and utilitarian. The Slovak expert discourse has been found to have a significant influence on the pragmatic sentiments in the Visegrad Group countries regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. The independent think tank of the Central European Institute for Asian Studies (CEIAS) plays a major role in the transmission of these ideas, producing a number of analytical reports and actively engaging researchers from the Visegrad Four countries in its work. As for the governmental discourse, the Chinese theme is present in it to a limited extent; in recent years there have been several cases that have divided the views of the ruling elite regarding Sino-Slovak relations. In general, these have concerned human rights issues and interaction with the Dalai Lama and the resulting problem of whether it is worth raising sensitive issues and criticising the PRC at the state level to the detriment of economic ties. In conclusion, the author describes the main trends and forecasts of the development of the Slovak discourse about the Chinese initiative.

scholarly journals Impact of Transport Infrastructure on Gross Regional Products: Evidence from Chinese Provinces under the “Belt and Road Initiative”

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-45
Author(s):  
Jin-Hui Li ◽  
Chol-Ju An ◽  
Gwang-Nam Rim
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Development Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Belt And Road

Purpose: This paper analyzes the impact of transport infrastructure on Gross Regional Products in Chinese provinces under the “Belt and Road Initiative”. Methods: The impact of the key elements of transport infrastructure on Gross Regional Products is analyzed based on the data related to development levels of transport infrastructure and economic development. Correlation and regression analyses were used for data analysis. Results: It is found that railways and highways, which are the key elements of transport infrastructure, have a strong correlation with Gross Regional Products, and their effects are diverse among provinces under study. Implications: The findings demonstrate the position and role of diverse infrastructural elements in enhancing the economic benefits of infrastructural investment and promoting economic growth. Thus, it is expected to facilitate decision-making related to infrastructural investment under the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

scholarly journals Sharing the Spoils: Winners and Losers in the Belt and Road Initiative in Myanmar

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-404
Author(s):  
SiuSue Mark ◽  
Indra Overland ◽  
Roman Vakulchuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Belt And Road

This article studies the impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on economic actors in Myanmar. It hypothesizes that the BRI has strong transformative potential, because Chinese projects are likely to transform Myanmar’s economy on different scales and influence the allocation of economic benefits and losses for different actors. The study identifies economic actors in Myanmar who are likely to be most affected by BRI projects. It also discusses how BRI-related investments could affect the country’s complex conflict dynamics. The article concludes with policy recommendations for decision makers in Myanmar, China, and the international community for mitigating the BRI’s possible negative impacts. The analysis draws on secondary sources and primary data collection in the form of interviews with key actors in Hsipaw, Lashio, and Yangon, involved with and informed about the BRI in Myanmar at the local, regional, and national levels.

scholarly journals Diffusion of ideas in the era of the Belt and Road: Insights from China–CEE think tank cooperation

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-436
Author(s):  
Anastas Vangeli
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Think Tanks ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Belt And Road

Abstract To address part of the puzzle on China’s ideational impact in the era of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the article studies social interaction of Chinese and CEE think tanks by employing the concept of diffusion of ideas. The article proposes a theoretical framework to study diffusion inspired by reflexive social science that focuses on frames, (geoeconomic) imaginaries, and translations. The asymmetrical interaction of think tanks led to aligning the frames of the different actors and producing a context of peaceful and pragmatic cooperation, extension of the geoeconomic imaginaries to include previously unorthodox positions, and translation of policy concepts that are localized in accord with the dispositions of the CEE actors involved. Nevertheless, the China–CEE think tank cooperation, when analyzed in a broader context, has relatively limited impact on societal and policy levels, and is increasingly challenged by actors with greater leverage in the region. What sustain the diffusion of ideas are the potent narratives of imagined futures of prosperity under the New Silk Roads.

scholarly journals The Belt and Road Initiative: Maximizing benefits, managing risks—A computable general equilibrium approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjoo Hahm ◽  
Selim Raihan
Keyword(s):  
Computable General Equilibrium ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
The Social ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Trade Analysis ◽  
Global Trade Analysis Project ◽  
The Belt And Road ◽  
Social And Environmental Risks

Using a Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model, and China as the base for analytical comparison, this paper shows that there are significant economic benefits to China and the participating countries along all six Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) economic corridors. However, to maximize these benefits, the social and environmental risks need to be well managed. The analysis shows a clear sequencing in terms of priority corridors. Two corridors have minimal investments and immediate returns, two corridors have significant investments with huge returns, and two corridors have high investments with lower returns. Overall, the paper demonstrates that to ensure the sustainability of any BRI corridor development, there is a need to consider its costs and benefits from the economic, social and environmental perspectives.

Central Asia faces debt risk alongside Silk Road gains

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Energy Hub ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Crucial Part ◽  
The Belt And Road

Subject Central Asian gains and risk from the Belt and Road Initiative Significance Central Asian states are a crucial part of the overland component of the Belt and Road Initiative that China is advancing to promote regional security as well as trade. They stand to gain from improved connectivity, but project funding largely consists of Chinese loans that they will have to repay, possibly before the economic benefits are apparent. Impacts Uzbekistan will assume an increasing role as a trade and energy hub. Changed atmospherics will allow Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to work together as the principal regional states. China will be sensitive to fears of 'colonialisation', hiring local workers and stressing the value of its production projects.

ASEAN and the Belt and Road Initiative: Trust-building in Trade and Investment

2020 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050002
Author(s):  
Locknie Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Trust Building ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Building Trust ◽  
Domestic Trade ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Trade And Investment ◽  
The Belt And Road

This article examines a number of trade and investment areas in which trust-building needs to occur between China and its ASEAN Belt and Road Initiative partners in order to better realize the economic benefits promised by the initiative. A number of economic goals of ASEAN converge with those of the BRI, such as those relating to building physical, regulatory and digital connectivity, and this convergence provides potential for joint economic growth and cooperation. Some of ASEAN’s urgent infrastructure needs, for instance, could be met through ASEAN-BRI collaboration. However, a number of issues which have arisen in BRI-related projects within and outside ASEAN need to be addressed in a convincing way, if ASEAN and China are to better achieve such economic goals. These include building trust by fostering confidence that the BRI brings domestic trade and investment benefits, good governance and financial and environmental sustainability, and in the newer field of digital connectivity, by ensuring meaningful dialogs and actions on the use of existing and emerging technology in the BRI.

scholarly journals China’s Belt and Road Initiative Revisited: Challenges and Ways Forward

2018 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 39-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yitzhak Shichor
Keyword(s):  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Shanghai Cooperation Organization ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The West ◽  
Investment Bank ◽  
Multilateral Institutions ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Belt And Road

Compared with other Chinese-proposed multilateral institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not yet fully institutionalized. Still, it has been enthusiastically welcomed by many Asian and African countries, though less so by Western ones, Japan, and Russia. This is not only because of the expected economic benefits being Asian- and African-centric, but perhaps more importantly, because of the BRI having potential to be an exceptional Eastern model that may become universal. Up to the recent times, the flow of religions, doctrines, ideas and ideologies has mainly been from the West to the East, often accompanied by Western colonialism. Now, if the BRI is successfully implemented, for the first time in history a model of Eastern origin may affect the West and the rest of world. Unlike national liberation movements which had achieved political but not economic independence, China’s BRI could facilitate an international liberation movement that helps Asian and African countries to achieve growth and development, and thereby become economically independent as well. The innovation of the BRI does not only lie in its direction of influence (from the East to the West), but also in that it will be accomplished in Chinese rather than Western ways. That, more than particular economic benefits, explains the BRI’s attraction.

The Belt and Road Initiative and Sino-Russian economic cooperation: Is there one more chance for us?

2019 ◽  
pp. 47-71
Author(s):  
Petr M. Mozias
Keyword(s):  
Regional Integration ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Flexible Framework ◽  
The One ◽  
International Transactions ◽  
The Belt And Road ◽  
Current Stage

China’s Belt and Road Initiative could be treated ambiguously. On the one hand, it is intended to transform the newly acquired economic potential of that country into its higher status in the world. China invites a lot of nations to build up gigantic transit corridors by joint efforts, and doing so it applies productively its capital and technologies. International transactions in RMB are also being expanded. But, on the other hand, the Belt and Road Initiative is also a necessity for China to cope with some evident problems of its current stage of development, such as industrial overcapacity, overdependence on imports of raw materials from a narrow circle of countries, and a subordinate status in global value chains. For Russia participation in the Belt and Road Initiative may be fruitful, since the very character of that project provides us with a space to manoeuvre. By now, Russian exports to China consist primarily of fuels and other commodities. More active industrial policy is needed to correct this situation . A flexible framework of the Belt and Road Initiative is more suitable for this objective to be achieved, rather than traditional forms of regional integration, such as a free trade zone.

Belt and Road Initiative: Analysis of Possible Effects on Nigeria’s Economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (06) ◽  
pp. 20475-20182
Author(s):  
Ige Ayokunle O ◽  
Akingbesote A.O
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
International Economic ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Economic Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
International Economic Cooperation ◽  
R Project ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Belt And Road

The Belt and Road initiative is an important attempt by China to sustain its economic growth, by exploring new forms of international economic cooperation with new partners. Even though the B&R project is not the first attempt at international cooperation, it is considered as the best as it is open in nature and does not exclude interested countries. This review raised and answered three questions of how the B&R project will affect Nigeria’s economy?  How will it affect the relationship between Nigeria and China? What could go wrong?, The review concluded that Nigeria can only benefit positively from the project.

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