: Francisco José B. S. Leandro, Paulo Afonso B. Duarte
: The Belt and Road Initiative An Old Archetype of a New Development Model
: Palgrave Macmillan
: 9789811525643
: 1
: CHF 143.30
:
: Vergleichende und internationale Politikwissenschaft
: English
: 579
: Wasserzeichen/DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: PDF
This book is an analysis of the developments associated with the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) five years after Xi Jinping announced both the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the 21st Maritime Silk Road (21MSR). Together, these two dimensions constitute the B&RI, providing the so-called Chinese 'project of the century' with regional, inter-regional and global reach. This book aims at assessing the impact of the B&RI in all these dimensions and levels of influence. This is a current and promising theme, not only in the short and medium terms, but also within a broader timescale, reflecting Chinese strategic thinking itself, since Chinese philosophy and culture are oriented towards long-term and inter-generational persp ctives. Likewise, both the title of this publication and the way it has been organized result from the empirical perception that China asserts a conservative attitude towards foreign affairs, redesigned in multiple dimensions, to create a perception of domestic unity and global prestige. In this vein of thought, the B&RI is already influencing and will continue to influence, directly or indirectly, the current economic and political order.


Francisco B. S. José Leandro received a Ph.D. in political science and international relations from the Catholic University of Portugal in 2010. He is currently an associate professor and Assistant Dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries at the City University of Macau, China.

Paulo Afronso B. Duarte received a Ph.D. in political science from the Catholic University of Louvain. He is currently an assistant professor at Universidade Lusófona do Porto and guest professor at the University of Minho. He is a post-doctoral researcher at Centro de Investigação em Ciência Política, University of Minho, Portugal.
Foreword: Connectivity with Consent6
Introduction9
Contents23
Notes on Contributors27
List of Figures38
List of Tables40
Part I The Belt and Road Initiative Concept42
1 The New Silk Roads: Defining China’s Grand Strategy43
Introduction43
A Grand Strategy “with Chinese Characteristics”?44
Grand Strategy on the Ground47
Chinese Statecraft: Assessing Xi Jinping’s Centrality49
Inclusive Mobilization of Resources50
Transactional Power51
Institutions, Agenda-Setting and Norms54
China’s Strategic Narrative56
Conclusion58
Bibliography59
2 The Words of the Belt and Road Initiative: A Chinese Discourse for the World?63
Introduction63
The Rise of China as an International Player69
The Belt and Road Initiative as a Chinese Political Project72
A New Discourse for the World75
Conclusions81
Bibliography81
3 Global Strike vs. Globalization: The US-China Rivalry and the BRI85
The Basis of American Power86
America’s Military Supremacy87
China and Globalization89
The BRI and Soft Power94
The BRI as Soft Power96
The BRI as a Challenge to Western World Order97
Conclusion: The American Dilemma99
4 Belt, Road and Ball: Football as a Chinese Soft Power and Public Diplomacy Tool101
Introduction101
About the People-to-People Ties…104
The Plan106
Sport, Public Diplomacy and Soft Power108
Football as a Connecting Element113
The English Connection114
The Ports Along the Way115
Sports Tourism and BRI Football Tournaments116
Conclusion117
Bibliography119
5 Understanding China’s “One Belt and One Road” Initiative: An “International Public Goods” Approach124
Introduction124
The Debates and Research Question126
The Conceptualization of International Public Goods (IPGs)128
IPGs from the Realist Perspective129
IPGs from the Neoliberal Perspective130
IPGs from the Institutional Perspective131
An IPGs Approach to China’s OBOR Initiative132
Why Is OBOR Public?132
Why Is OBOR Public Goods?134
Why Is OBOR International?135
Empirical Demonstrations136
OBOR Provides “Direct Utility”137
OBOR Provides “Risk Reduction”139
OBOR Provides Infrastructural “Capacity Enhancement”140
Conclusion: IPGs for an Emerging Chinese World Order?140
Bibliography144
6 The Financing of the Belt and Road Initiative: Blessings and Curses149
Introduction149
The Boundaries of the Belt and Road Initiative150
The Objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative155
The Financing of the Belt and Road Initiative159
The Dimension160
The Main Financing161
The Silk Road Fund163
Other Contributors163
The Blessings of the Belt and Road Initiative165
The Curses of the Belt and Road Initiative166
The Curses for China167
The Curses for Participant Members169
The Curses for Non-participating Countries171
Some Policy Recommendations173
Conclusion176
Bibliography178
7 BRI—Sustainable, Inclusive Growth, and Financial Sources186
Introduction186
Visions of BRI as an Engine of Global Growth Cooperation on Economic Development189
Rational of BRI Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Premises191
Conclusion204
Bibliography208
8 Environmental Considerations of the Belt and Road Initiative210
Introduction210
How Green Are the Banks?216
Green Bonds217
Greenness of Banks Investing in BRI219
AIIB222
Case Studies225
Biodiversity and Environment227
Conclusion229
Bibliography231
9 The Chinese Partnerships and “the Belt and Road” Initiative: A Synergetic Affiliation239
Introduction239
Building and Developing Chinese Partnerships243
Implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative254
How Chinese Partnerships and BRI Contribute to One Another?259