The Belt and Road Initiative: A Pathway towards Inclusive Globalization

Description

The Belt and Road Initiative (hereafter BRI) of China has attracted worldwide attention and participation, causing a lot of debate over its implications for international society. Although it is still in a budding stage, the BRI seems to afford a framework for an increasing number of countries to explore jointly new international economic governance mechanisms and offer significant opportunities for them to cope jointly with global challenges. Taking a globalization perspective and tracking the ancient silk roads, this book tries to examine the general context in which the BRI is raised and implemented, arguing that this Chinese initiative, instead of replacing existing international cooperation mechanisms, is a call for the reform and development of neoliberal globalization and will open up a new era of inclusive globalization. Inclusive globalization is neither an overturning nor a simple continuation of neoliberal globalization but rather a proposal capable of addressing the problems of existing globalization. The difference between them lies in the fact that globalization cannot only serve the "spatial fix" of capital but also has to meet the needs of living people. The book also addresses a number of major issues on building the Belt and Road and contains Chinese media’s interviews with the author on various BRI issues. Given the author has been intensively involved in the study of and planning for the BRI, the book offers a valuable academic insight into this Chinese initiative. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Table of contents Figures Tables Acknowledgments Preface 1 The Silk Road and the Silk Road Spirit I. The origin of the term “Silk Road” II. The background of the Silk Road 1. Zhang Qian’s diplomatic missions to the Western regions triggered strong motivations of the Han Dynasty to trade with ... 2. The economic and cultural development of countries and regions along the Silk Road laid the foundation for the ... 3. The ethnic minorities in ancient China provided the impetus for the smooth operation of the Silk Road III. The evolution of the Silk Road 1. The opening of the Silk Road in the Western Han Dynasty 2. The reopening of the Silk Road in the Eastern Han dynasty 3. The rise and fall of the Silk Road in Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties 4. The flourishing of the Silk Road in the Sui and Tang Dynasties 5. The emergence of the Maritime Silk Road after the Tang Dynasty IV. Enlightenment from the Silk Road: The Silk Road Spirit Notes 2 Economic globalization and its limitations I. Global economic expansion and ebbing before World War II 1. The age of laissez-faire capitalism(1780–1873): Free trade, commodity exchange, and colonial expansion 2. The second industrial revolution (1873–1913): The emergence of monopoly capitalism and the new imperialism 3. Two World Wars (1914–1945): The ebbing of global economic expansion II. Economic internationalization after World War II 1. The establishment of a global institutional framework and the progress of economic internationalization 2. The spatial manifestations of internationalization: opposing international political and economic forces III. The arrival of the era of economic globalization 1. The origin of globalization 2. The appearance of globalization IV. The limitations of economic globalization Notes 3 General context of the Belt and Road Initiative I. The changing global context II. The transformation of China’s development model III. Other factors Notes 4 Understanding the Belt and Road Initiative I. Core connotation: Inclusive globalization II. Thinking of construction approaches III. Spatial connotations Notes 5 Issues on how to build the Belt and Road I. Distinguishing the BRI from China’s regional development strategies II. Building cross-border transport corridors as a priority III. Making the China-Europe Railway Express an innovative transport platform IV. Choosing appropriate modes of “Going Global” V. Developing and consolidating opening-up platforms VI. Promoting people-to-people exchanges VII. Enhancing risk control Note Appendix 1 Relevant essays Appendix 2 Relevant interviews References Index