Belt and Road Initiative BRI Flashcards
(19 cards)
When was the BRI launched?
2013
Who launched the BRI?
Chinese president Xi Jinping
What is BRI also known as?
New silk road
How much did the BRI cost?
over $1 trillion
What is the intention of the BRI?
Improve trade connectivity between Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America
what are the economic goals of the BRI?
Expand trade routes + open new markets.
Export chinese surplus capital and labour.
Strengthen global supply chains for china.
Stimulate development in western china
What are the geopolitical objectives of the BRI?
Extend chinese influence globally.
Counterbalance western dominance.
Build alliances.
Secure resources and transport corridors
What are the two key routes for the BRI?
Silk road economic belt (land).
21st Century Maritime silk road (sea)
What is the silk road economic belt?
Land route.
Connects china to europe via central asia, russia and the middle east.
Includes roads, pipelines and railways
What is the 21st century maritime silk road?
Sea route.
Connects china to SE asia, africa and europe via major ports and sea lanes
What is the Gwadar port?
Deep water port in Pakistan.
Economic corridor
What is the Standard Gauge Railway?
472km railway in Kenya, linking Nairobi to Mombasa
What is the Hambantota port?
Port built with chinese loans in Sri Lanka.
Leased to china for 99 years due to debt
What is the china-europe rail link?
Rail connections boosting trade with EU.
e.g. Germany and Poland
What is the main concern for the Chinese funding development elsewhere?
Debt-trap diplomacy
What is debt trap diplomacy?
Where unsustainable debt given China leverage over key infrastructure
Who wins from the BRI?
Chinese firms.
Some host countries (Jobs, infrastructure).
Landlocked and isolation nations access to trade.
Regional economies may gain long term economic growth.
Who loses out from the BRI?
Taxpayers in countries burdened by debt.
environmental degradation.
National sovereignty weakened in some cases.
Local industries –> dependency
What are the geopolitical reactions to the BRI?
USA and EU are critical –> threat to western influence.
India refused to join –> concerns for sovereignty and regional dominance
