Regions in the Belt and Road Initiative

Description

Introduced in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has had a significant impact within Asia and across other regions. This book provides empirical case studies examining the relations between China and the states in specific regional groupings, including South-East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, the Persian Gulf, the Horn of Africa, and Central/Eastern Europe. At the theoretical level, Buzan and Waever’s work on regional security complexes is used to develop a framework for analyzing the current impact of the BRI and its potential future effects within these regions, while the case studies explore the extent to which different International Relations and International Political Economy theories explain change in these relationships as the regional security environment shifts. The contributors address questions as diverse as the domestic political and economic drivers impacting the level of BRI cooperation; the effects of cooperation with the US; as well as the historical political and economic risk considerations for China in pursuing BRI cooperation; and the motivations of regional responses to the BRI and rivalries and variations in those responses. This book will be of interest to academics working in the fields of Chinese foreign policy, International Relations, International Political Economy, and area studies. Professionals in the corporate world and Governmental practitioners and non-government agencies will also find the contributions useful. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of illustrations List of contributors List of abbreviations Chapter 1: Responses to the Belt and Road Initiative: a regional perspective Why regions? Chapter summaries Notes Chapter 2: Localizing China's Global Silk Roads through the "17 + 1" Introduction Region building with Chinese characteristics: the 17 + 1 Why are CEE countries participating in the BRI? We are Europeans We are independent Europeans We are distinct East Europeans We are who we say we are Conclusion Notes Chapter 3: China's Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia: unique characteristics and general framework China and South Asia Chinese approaches to South Asia Soft militarization in the Indian Ocean Nepal: telecom infrastructure as entry point The Maldives: tourism as cover Devaluing India’s democracy Political and economic risk considerations for China Learning and renegotiation A new leader in Pakistan Political crisis in Sri Lanka Conclusion Notes Chapter 4: Central Asia in the Belt and Road Initiative: policy-taker or policy-shaper? Trade and investment trends in Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Central Asia’s role in the SREB Challenges to the SREB: the regional context Lack of governance, transparency, and accountability Sovereign debt Limited, positive contribution to local economies Sinophobia Challenges to the SREB: the international context Russia in Central Asia The impact of other actors in Central Asia Conclusion Notes Chapter 5: China's Maritime Silk Road: the Horn of Africa and Red Sea Introduction Historical context: China’s preBRI ties with the Horn of Africa What constitutes the BRI in the Horn of Africa? Principal BRI infrastructure investments in the Horn The Djibouti–Ethiopia rail link China’s presence in Djibouti’s ports: port authority, free zones and Doraleh ports Ethiopia’s export zones Ethiopia’s industrial zones: the BRI facilitating inward investment? Djibouti: a development strategy made for the BRI? BRI: poor project management and unsustainable debt in the Horn? A military cutting edge to ‘Maritime Silk’? Antipiracy and naval logistics China’s naval presence Local and global actors’ reactions to China’s arrival US and EU reservations or tacit cooperation? The broader regional and maritime security context: Middle Eastern overspill? Conclusion Notes Chapter 6: The Gulf monarchies in the Belt and Road Initiative: domestic, regional, and international pressures Introduction Features of the Persian Gulf region The BRI in the Persian Gulf: a levelsof analysis approach Domestic Regional International Conclusion Notes Chapter 7: Bumps in the Maritime Silk Road: domestic politics and the Belt and Road Initiative in ASEAN states Introduction China–ASEAN cooperation Aid, trade, and FDI in the MSRI The road through Cambodia: bridges of friendship Chinese hydropower and the façade of democracy in Cambodia Liberalization and authoritarian backsliding Tightening the belt to pave the road The MSRI under Mahathir The MSRI and political regimes in Southeast Asia Conclusion Notes Index