scholarly journals An overview of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Implications in geo-strategy and geo-politics

Author(s):  
Rahul Gupta Choudhury ◽  

China is a very interesting country, and the entire world is looking at it. This is not only because of its spectacular rise in the world stage and the fact that it has become one of the largest markets in the world. China has become a superpower economically as well as militarily. Simultaneously it has a penchant for doing things differently – from the established norms and practices, as followed primarily by the West. It is likely that China will be in a position to challenge USA shortly as the number one power in the world. It is also likely that China will soon be influencing world events in a major way. These are the primary reasons for undergoing this study. The specific objective is to understand in detail one of the grandest and most ambitious schemes floated by any country in modern times - that of the Belt and Road Initiative by China. The author is sure that this project will have a very substantial impact on the strategies and politics of the entire world. The originality of this study is that it takes a macro-view of the entire initiative and dissects the implications for each major region of the entire world - in terms of strategy as well as politics. It wishes to connect Asia and Europe and also bring Africa into the project and thus form a unified market known as Afro-Eurasia. China, also known as PRC (People’s Republic of China), has developed tremendously in the past few decades and has now spare capacities as well as resources. So, it has initiated the project BRI wherein they are giving loans to underdeveloped countries to build infrastructure of these nations. There are two primary routes which PRC aims to develop. One of them is the land route called the BELT, which connects Europe to China over land. The other is the maritime route through the oceans which again connects the Eastern parts of China right up to Europe – and including Africa in between. The countries along these routes are being helped by China to develop their infrastructure like railways or seaports so that they may also emerge as modern logistics and distribution hubs for transporting goods between China and Europe. PRC thus ensures that it receives its continuous supply of energy requirements and other commodities for consumption. It will also be able to increase its exports right up to Western Europe through these routes which will save them a lot of time and costs also. Some nations are however skeptical about the real intentions of China. These countries think that China is emerging as a major superpower of the world and one day, it might want to dominate this part of the world entirely. Whether China has military intentions or not will be clear sometime later. As of today, China claims that its intentions are completely peaceful.

Author(s):  
Andrey Kuryukin

The main economies of the world tend to offer their own vision of globalization within the growing globalization processes. This vision is usually presented in the form of a specific strategy for the development of the entire world as a whole or a significant part of it. One of the most ambitious projects is the Chinese the Belt and Road Initiative. This article analyzes its essence, gives a brief historical overview and examines the reaction of the world community to this initiative.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 116-131
Author(s):  
Paula Tomaszewska

The Digital Silk Road and the growing significance of the People’s Republic of China in the competition over technological supremacy in the world Over the past few years, many scientists have analyzed China’s Belt and Road Initiative, but very few have studied a significant component of this initiative – the Digital Silk Road (DSR). Although the attention regarding the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative is focused mainly on the implementation of international transport infrastructure projects, such as roads, railways or ports, it seems important to pay attention to the technological component of this project. The main goal of the article is to present the most comprehensive information possible on the Digital Silk Road and to investigate Chinese activities in this area. It should be emphasized that the early stage of development, namely the planning of the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Digital Silk Road, raises many scientific questions, such as: what is the Digital Silk Road? What actions have been taken to implement it? What challenges and threats can it generate? Will the Digital Silk Road contribute to an even greater exposure – the technological, growing role of China in the world? Undoubtedly, the Digital Silk Road, which is a platform promoting the development of digital connections between the countries participating in the initiative, can help spread Chinese digital “inventions – products.” In addition, it may contribute to facilitating the economic and social development of the countries along the initiative, thus improving the level of economic development of the beneficiary countries and generating new international competitive advantages. The Digital Silk Road is an inherent requirement for building China’s digital power in the world, and therefore a current and very important research area. The work on this article uses desk research on the changing position of the People’s Republic of China in the competition for technological leadership in the world, as well as the consequences it entails.


2021 ◽  
Vol XXIV (Issue 1) ◽  
pp. 364-381
Author(s):  
Robert Ciborowski ◽  
Ewa Oziewicz ◽  
Sylwia Pangsy-Kania

2018 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 327-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhexin Zhang

Since its launch in late 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has achieved many tangible results that may have lasting effect on the social and economic development of host countries and on the geopolitical dynamics of the world. Its emergence in international political discourse is changing the basic thinking and logic of traditional geopolitical competition. While Western countries tend to interpret the BRI as part of China’s hidden geopolitical strategy to ultimately rule the world, Chinese and most developing nations see it as China’s international cooperation strategy to enhance global connectivity, communication and cooperation, so as to foster a more balanced and equitable world system. To maintain a favorable international environment for further progress of the BRI, China needs to better explain the details concerning the initiative as well as its role in the country’s grand strategy of peaceful development. Meanwhile, China must keep striving to match its words with its deeds in global arenas, so as to win more trust and support from the international community in jointly implementing the initiative.


Author(s):  
Victoria Batmanova ◽  
Ellada Tikhonovich ◽  
Tatyana Chigareva ◽  
Yuan Lyudai

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.


Author(s):  
Paula Tomaszewska

Chinese Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is not only an economic or political project, but also has the potential to transform the international system. The initiative‘s impact is large – from stimulating the financing of infrastructure investments in various countries around the world to the development of new global supply chains. The scientific goal of the article is to analyze the consequences of implementing the initiative. The research problem is included in the following question: does the Belt and Road Initiative contribute to increasing Chinese influence in the world and carries the risk of driving poorer countries into the ―debt trap‖? The conclusion from the article is that China should create an improved version of the BRI initiative based on a better risk assessment of the current projects. Infrastructure investments, if not carefully implemented and controlled, may lead to consequences, such as increasing the debt of some countries in the long term.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Brown

Xi Jinping’s People’s Republic of China is keen to express its grand strategic ambitions—the delivery of centennial goals by 2021 and 2049. This marks the end in which China seeks to keep a low profile. With notions like the ‘China Dream’, the Belt and Road Initiative, and a raft of other expressions and moves, Xi and his fellow leaders have shown that they want a more proactive foreign policy. In this ambitious, historically driven and more nationalistic strategic approach, the issue of Taiwan remains central. There has been more attempt to make some kind of framework for reunification on the part of Beijing accepted both internationally, and in Taipei. Taiwan’s space has been restricted, and a number of moves have placed pressure on the Tsai presidency, from trying to gain diplomatic allies currently linked to Taiwan, to refusing Taiwan space on the World Health Assembly and other bodies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.-Y. Chang

AbstractThis article re-examines China’s proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) taking into account historical and philosophical narratives. It assumes that the BRI has crucial strategic implications; in particular, that it is not as altruistic as claimed but rather a self-interested proposal aiming to restore China’s grandeur and influence. The Chinese Dream (中國夢) and the concept of Tianxia (天下), ‘all under heaven’) are discussed to illustrate how the initiative is ‘marketed’. It ends with an interpretation of the impacts that the BRI might have on other parts of the world.


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