scholarly journals Environmental Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications to Materialize China’s Green Belt and Road Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10428
Author(s):  
Tiantian Zhai
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Remediation ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Multilateral Environmental Agreements ◽  
Environmental Challenges ◽  
Protection Mechanism ◽  
Belt And Road

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), announced in 2013, is an unprecedented mega-project that aims to improve connectivity between China and over 70 countries through infrastructure investment and regional cooperation. It has unparalleled potential to bring about positive economic development across vast regions of the world but, at the same time, may inevitably come with considerable environmental challenges. Even so, opportunities exist to prevent or mitigate environmental risks and realize China’s promise of a green BRI. China has proposed to construct a green BRI. The existing environmental law framework of host states, green development practices by China and BRI participating countries, and the role of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) as well as multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) all increase the odds of a green BRI. This article contributes to existing BRI-related literature by examining the environmental challenges and opportunities of the BRI and providing suggestions on building a comprehensive environmental protection mechanism. It is suggested to stringently implement environmental norms and green BRI policies, make greater use of BITs and MEAs, bring together various actors, mobilize all available resources, and establish an efficient environmental dispute settlement and environmental remediation system.

Making Infrastructure ‘Visible’ in Environmental Law: The Belt and Road Initiative and Climate Change Friction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Sanja Bogojević ◽  
Mimi Zou
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Infrastructure Project ◽  
The Belt And Road ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract Infrastructure is often viewed through global and promotional lenses, particularly its role in creating market connectivity. However, infrastructure is heavily dependent on and constitutive of local spaces, where ‘frictions’, or disputes, emerge. Drawing on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a case study, we examine in detail two cases of BRI-related climate change litigation – one in Pakistan, and one in Kenya – that shed light on the frictions arising from what is deemed the most significant transnational infrastructure project of our time. In doing so, this study demonstrates how infrastructure can be made more visible in environmental law and how environmental law itself provides an important mechanism for stabilizing friction in the places where infrastructure is located.

Promoting Korean international trade in the East Sea Economic Rim in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 212-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Tae-Woo Lee ◽  
Sung-Woo Lee ◽  
Zhi-Hua Hu ◽  
Kyoung-Suk Choi ◽  
Na Young Hwan Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Complex Network ◽  
Maritime Transportation ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
East Sea ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Maritime Logistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Ship Flows

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze maritime logistics connectivity of ports and shipping networks in the East Sea Economic Rim (ESER) to promote international trade in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), considering centrality, primary flow and clustering interaction. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies a complex network model, using a big data system consisting of an automated identification system, electronic data interchange and distributive and complex data. Three perspectives, including connectivity in trading ports and regions, centralities in the realm of complex network and potential marketing and regional impacts, and sixteen criteria are considered for this analysis. A visual approach has been also applied to highlight port connectivity and ship flows for the reader’s convenience. Findings The paper shows that port connectivity and maritime logistics are enablers to promote Korean international trade in Northeast China through the ESER, and 25 major ports are well connected to promote international trade in the region with visual data of ship flows by ship type and by flag. Research limitations/implications Owing to the lack of port management information systems among the countries in the ESER except Korea and Japan, this paper could not capture cargo types and amounts on board. Port connectivity analysis shows links of the ports in the ESER to major ports in southeast Asia along the Twenty-first Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR). These results contribute to drawing policy implications to promote the ESER and provide suggestions for promoting Korean international trade by enhancing maritime logistics connectivity. Originality/value Unlike the existing literature showing descriptive and policy-oriented research related to ESER, this paper applied a vigorous method with a big amount of data to analyze port connectivity and ship flows in the ESER, considering China’s BRI affecting the global supply chain system, maritime transportation, and logistics. In addition, the paper shows how the seaports in the ESER are connected along the MSR.

scholarly journals New Trends in Central Asian Connectivity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Indeo
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Land Bridge ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Central Asian Countries ◽  
National Economies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Central Asian Republics

The main aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of the China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and of Uzbekistan's proactive regional policy to promote regional interconnectivity and to develop an “endogenous” cooperation mainly focused on the strategic interests of Central Asian countries. Within the BRI, Central Asia holds a strategic relevance, because this region is crossed by two of the six main BRI corridor projects – the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor and the Eurasian land bridge – which will contribute to improve regional cooperation and connections among these countries. For Central Asian republics, BRI represents an attractive project benefiting of Chinese huge investments aimed to boost infrastructures and to develop national economies. Under Mirziyoyev's leadership, Uzbekistan has undertaken a proactive and constructive regional diplomacy in Central Asia, based on the improvement of relations and cooperation with other Central Asian republics, which has become a key priority of Tashkent's foreign policy.

scholarly journals Impact of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on China and South Asia Trade Integration

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mst. Sahiba Mahbub ◽  
Keyword(s):  
International Trade ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Trade Integration ◽  
Belt And Road

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the noteworthy initiatives of the Chinese government. It has been intended to interface neighboring 65 nations to enhance inter-regional international trade. This research focused on China and South Asia international trade under BRI framework. South Asian nations share pretty much the equivalent social and social foundation. From the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) the initiative for trade connectivity has started in this sub-region. Later several trade agreements came into force. In this present research, researchers uncovered present trade integration with China and South Asian countries. To estimate results we have applied gravity model equation. Estimated results support that BRI has a positive and significant impact on trade Integration among China and South Asia. The significance level of P-value falls below 1%. For data analysis, several databases have been utilized likewise, UN-Comtrade, World Bank, World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), etc. Data analysis part has done with the application of Stata.

scholarly journals Defining the Building Blocks and the Priority Areas for Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
Yaktor Joshua Inusa ◽  
Doris Hooi Chyee Toe ◽  
Kum Weng Yong
Keyword(s):  
Financial Integration ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Collective Development ◽  
The Belt And Road

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a China’s endeavour to globally connect the countries along two major routes. This paper examines the keywords defining the building blocks and priority areas under the BRI and their relationship in order to foster a practical understanding of the BRI for enhancing regional cooperation and connectivity along the routes. The methodology employed was a systematic literature review involving four stages. Firstly, a broad search in the Scopus database (2016-2020) using BRI or similar terms returned n=1,710 articles which were further limited using the keywords: building blocks, priority areas, policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people exchange. Other keywords considered were community and Silk Road. The articles were then screened and assessed resulting in 155 articles reviewed in this study. The review reveals that while the building blocks are the aim motivating the BRI, hence the spirit behind it, the five priority areas provide practical methods through which China and other countries along the Belt and Road routes will focus their collective development. The relationship between the two aspects owes to the fact that people are involved at all spheres of the initiative bringing about emphasis on the people-to-people exchange which is a core part of social dimension in sustainable development. In contribution, this paper presents a unique perspective for looking at the BRI for a focused discussion of its cooperative framework which could serve as a foundation for further research in various sectors

International competitiveness of China’s biomass products: a CMS and RCA analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-623
Author(s):  
Jing Shuai ◽  
Fubin Huang ◽  
Zhihui Leng ◽  
Xin Cheng
Keyword(s):  
International Competitiveness ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Advantages ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Energy Products ◽  
The Belt And Road

Purpose This paper aims to estimate the international competitiveness of China’s biomass energy products during 2007-2016 in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors used the constant market share model and the revealed comparative advantage index to analyze the evolution trend of China’s biomass products’ international competitiveness during the past decade from 2007 to 2016 based on the market structure of the Belt and Road Initiative. Findings The results show that: China’s major biomass energy products have no comparative advantages in the world market, nevertheless, their international competitiveness is on the rise; China’s biomass energy products have been agglomerated to the regional markets where the market demand growth is fast in the Belt and Road countries; and the unreasonable structure is an important factor influencing the international competitiveness of China’s biomass exports. Originality/value The authors analyzed the international competitiveness of China’s biomass energy products based on the “Belt and Road Initiative” with all the trading items, in an effort to propose policy implications for enhancing the comparative advantages of China’s biomass products in the international market especially in the Belt and Road regions.

Belt and Road initiative meets Africa: Exploring the state of play, the implications and the imperative for complementarities of interests

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Collins C Ajibo
Keyword(s):  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Global Order ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Investment Bank ◽  
Chinese Enterprises ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Trade And Investment

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is expected to link the world to a gigantic trade and investment corridor, with China at the centre of the new multilateralism. Since its announcement in 2013, China has taken significant steps to actualise its vision through massive investment in infrastructure in the belt-road regions supported by Chinese financial institutions, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Critics argue that BRI is a covert means for China to exert greater influence on the global trade and investment landscape but China has countered this. Nevertheless, emerging evidence indicates that, beyond the promotion of trade and investment, China is using BRI to export overcapacity, internationalise renminbi, promote cultural diplomacy, secure resources and redefine the global order. Hence, African countries stand in danger of neocolonialism unless they optimise the partnership with China to foster a win-win situation. In particular, African countries must recognise the significance of deft management of unsustainable Chinese loans that may entrap them in future, embedding more transparency in contract bidding for infrastructure investment, insisting on capacity building and skill spillovers and ensuring that transnational dispute settlement with Chinese enterprises is adjudicated in a neutral venue, if African courts lack the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

scholarly journals Dispute Settlement in the Belt and Road Initiative: Progress, Issues, and Future Research Agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-28
Author(s):  
Jiangyu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Belt And Road Initiative ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Critical Part ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Belt And Road

Abstract Policy-makers in China for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initially did not consider dispute settlement very seriously, but they have realized in recent years that this is an issue that might have to form a critical part of BRI transactions and projects. This introduction gives an overview of the types of disputes emerging out of the BRI deals and critically examines China’s efforts to build institutions and rules for resolving BRI disputes. In this context, it introduces the articles contained in this special issue and presents a future research agenda for moving the study of BRI dispute settlement to the next level.

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