scholarly journals Pioneering a Green Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) alignment between China and other members: mapping BRI's sustainability plan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Cheshmehzangi ◽  
Linjun Xie ◽  
May Tan-Mullins
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Green Belt ◽  
Green Development ◽  
Belt And Road

Abstract This study is the first attempt to explore the green development alignments between China and other BRI countries. It maps and presents the green agendas practiced in BRI countries by 2017 before exploring on the ground practices of China-led physical developments in these countries. 2017 is marked as the year China pledged to promote a greener BRI. This is achieved by examining how China's green BRI agenda and infrastructure development projects were undertaken in different partner countries. By doing so, we sought to identify gaps and opportunities for pursuing green developments across and through the BRI. The findings from this study contribute to the overall debate and exploration of sustainable development of BRI.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Characteristics of Green Development Cooperation Network among Belt and Road Initiative Regions and Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11216
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Ao Sun ◽  
Qiuxia Zheng ◽  
Dianting Wu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Temporal Characteristics ◽  
Green Development ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Development Capability

There is a global need to jointly build the green Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in order to develop a philosophy of ecological civilisation and achieve sustainable development. This paper aims to analyse the temporal and spatial characteristics of the green development cooperation (GDC) network among BRI regions and countries and explore the reasons for its formation. To this end, the first step was to analyse the spatial and temporal characteristics of green development capability in six regions of 104 BRI countries from 2013 to 2019 using the synthetic evaluation model and entropy method. Next, social network analysis was used to analyse three characteristics of the GDC network: network structure, node structure, and community structure. Moreover, the indicators of network strength and network correlation were used to estimate the structural characteristics of the entire GDC network, while degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality were used to estimate the role and status of countries in the GDC network. In addition, modularity optimisation was used to analyse the community structure and regional effects of the GDC network. The results show that (1) the green development capability of the BRI countries has spatial and temporal heterogeneity. (2) The GDC network among the BRI countries has been initially formed, and has the characteristics of high connectedness, high efficiency, low density, and low hierarchy. (3) The GDC network has community structure and regional effect, showing polycentric and hierarchical characteristics. (4) China, Russia, and the European countries have stronger radiating and controlling power. Central Asian countries along the land Silk Road and Indian Ocean countries along the maritime Silk Road play a significant role as intermediaries and bridges, while the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries play a vital role as the central actors. Finally, some theoretical and practical implications are put forward to provide a blueprint for jointly achieving the sustainable development goals.

scholarly journals Sustainable Development under Belt and Road Initiative: A Case Study of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s Socio-Economic Impact on Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashid Menhas ◽  
Shahid Mahmood ◽  
Papel Tanchangya ◽  
Muhammad Nabeel Safdar ◽  
Safdar Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Silk Road ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Fiber System ◽  
Railway Network ◽  
Economic Paradigm ◽  
Belt And Road

The restoration of the ancient Silk Road intends to reconnect China with Africa, the Middle East, and Europe through a railway network, airports, roads, seaports, and an optical fiber system. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has three components. One Belt, One Road (OBOR) is based upon two parts of the BRI; the maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road economic belt. OBOR is based upon six economic corridors. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the smartest corridor under OBOR, which passes only through Pakistan, and after completion, will provide a safe and cheap route for China to import oil and energy. CPEC is a multidimensional project under which much infrastructure development initiative has been started to improve the infrastructure and economic development of Pakistan. Infrastructure development is an essential requirement in economic growth, one which further leads to industrialization and is helpful in economic development. The present study was conducted in Pakistan and explored how infrastructure development under the CPEC is useful for the sustainable development of Pakistan, as well as which kind of infrastructure development projects have been included in the CPEC to improve the socio-economic paradigm of Pakistan. A sample of 500 respondents was selected through a multistage sampling technique from the two-node cities. A questionnaire survey was used to collect primary data. The results of the study show that the CPEC is a catalyst for Pakistan to improve its socio-economic conditions and to achieve sustainable development. The participants of the survey agreed that CPEC will improve the socio-economic paradigm of Pakistan and will be helpful in the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Belt and Road Initiative

2019 ◽  
pp. 176-199
Author(s):  
Teo Poh Chuin
Keyword(s):  
Development Projects ◽  
Financial Risks ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
High Level ◽  
Capital Development ◽  
The Belt And Road

With the aim of the Belt and Road Initiative in search of synergies with participating countries, infrastructure development projects are expected to arise incrementally and will be adapted accordingly to fulfil local regulatory requirements and needs. Malaysia embraces opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative by penetrating deeper into overseas market with the availability of rail lines that will drive connectivity and foster economic growth. The potential of the Belt and Road Initiative lies not just within the infrastructure sector, but also offers plenty of opportunities for human capital development, which made available through technology transfer and knowledge sharing arising from the cooperation between China and Malaysia. While it is believed that Malaysia will experience a strong growth, this motion definitely requires a high level of mutual cooperation, understanding, and trust in managing regulatory, political, and financial risks, as well as challenges involved.

scholarly journals Integrating Sustainable Development Goals into the Belt and Road Initiative: Would It Be a New Model for Green and Sustainable Investment?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 6991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Development Model ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Sustainable Investment ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Belt And Road

Given the challenges presented by climate change and related environmental pressure, a sustainable, investment-led development model, i.e., aligning investment with social and sustainability objectives, is needed to ensure long-term prosperity and generate sustainable growth. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was released to guide nations towards green and sustainable development and address governance deficits. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) launched by China, a development strategy involving investment in infrastructure development, intends to enhance regional connectivity, integration, and stimulate economic growth. These two agendas share the notion of ‘sustainable development’ and are growing increasingly relevant. Although various studies have analysed the sustainability of the BRI, the implementation of SDGs and the similarities and complementarities between the two initiatives, few of them touched on the possibility of the BRI to be a green and sustainable investment-led model by aligning the SDGs. This paper, thus, aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on sustainable development and infrastructure investment by exploring the possibilities and challenges of the BRI to be a sustainable, investment-led development model. By comparing these two agendas and seeking the linkages between them, this article recognises the potential of the BRI to play such a role while there are issues and risks of BRI that hinder the achievement of infrastructure development and sustainable investment. The paper recommends that, to exert the synergies from aligning the BRI and SDGs to seize substantial development benefits, it is necessary to enhance the sustainability of BRI projects, provide effective cooperation and communication with stakeholders, and adapt BRI to the national development policies of each partner country. Joint efforts taken by both state and non-state actors are indispensable.

scholarly journals China’s Belt and Road Initiative 2.0

2019 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. 233-248
Author(s):  
Jiahan Cao
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Development ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Development Goals

As China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) quickly evolves into an updated version for realizing high-quality development, its long-term success will increasingly depend on how well it can earn international legitimacy and credibility. Since sustainability is a critical source of credibility for the BRI, it is necessary to move the BRI forward by amplifying its role as a development agenda and tapping its potential to support global sustainable development and facilitate implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) through delivering more public goods to other developing countries. The BRI projects designed to strengthen infrastructure inter-connectivity can greatly fit the developmental needs of countries along the routes and expedite their achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), both explicitly and implicitly. Besides, the growing alignment between the BRI and the 2030 Agenda will generate more strengths and opportunities for China to be recognized as an indispensable player in international development cooperation, enhance the capacity of the BRI to manage environmental, social and governance risks in host countries, promote social cohesion and inclusiveness along the routes, and ultimately transcend short-term economic and political interests for China to win the hearts and minds of other stakeholders involved in the BRI.

scholarly journals The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanbo Li ◽  
Xufeng Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Belt And Road

During the initial implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (the 2030 Agenda), the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) was held in Santiago, Chile, in January 2018. During this forum, China officially invited 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This study links three important global governance issues: The 2030 Agenda, China-LAC relations and BRI. The authors attempt to analyze how China’s BRI in the LAC region can learn from the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations with 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study shows that although China and the LAC region have strong political, economic and trade relationships, they must deepen dialogues and cooperation on sustainable development, especially the 2030 Agenda with 17 SDGs, which can be inspirations for China’s BRI in this region. BRI, which aligns with the 2030 Agenda and contributes to Chinese experience in development, can generate new opportunities for the LAC region to implement such an agenda. However, the challenges and risks of BRI cannot be ignored, and adequate answers and solutions should be provided to allow BRI to achieve a win–win outcome for China and LAC countries. The authors also examine the alignment of China’s policies towards LAC and BRI with the 2030 Agenda (17 SDGs) and the involvement of each SDG in these policies as the 2030 Agenda (17 SDGs) should be considered in policy-making for China’s BRI in the LAC region. Moreover, on the basis of previous analyses, suggestions for a successful BRI in the LAC region in six sectors are proposed in the context the 2030 Agenda.

scholarly journals Belt and Road Initiative: Five Years on Implementation and Reflection

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Biliang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Agenda 2030 ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
The Common ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Belt And Road ◽  
World Development

This article summarizes the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was carried out 5 years ago. To date the basic institutional framework has been set up, some key infrastructural projects launched; joint development zones established and supporting systems have been set up to ensure the smooth infrastructure development of BRI. This article also explains the important factors why China proposed and implemented the initiative: accelerating world economic growth particularly for the developing countries, promoting economic globalization, improving global governance, and supporting UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Based on the 5 years’ experience of the Belt and Road implementation, the initiative reflects correctly the mega trend of world development and global cooperation, as well as the common interests of China and other relevant participating countries. A promising future for the initiative is most likely; however, careful feasibility study for investments is required to manage debt risk well for both the investors and the receivers of the investments.

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