The Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance
The Belt and Road Initiative and Global Governance, edited with Jean-Christophe Defraigne and Jan Wouters (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020)
This timely book examines the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), assessing its effect on the international economic order and global governance more broadly. Through a variety of qualitative case studies the book investigates the implementation of the BRI and evaluates its development outcomes both for China and the countries it interacts with under the initiative, along with its international implications.
Chapters discuss as-yet-unexplored cases from the ground in brand new studies based on fieldwork by leading academics, as well as providing alternative readings of the rationale behind the BRI. Questions about connectivity and the financial implications of Chinese investments are addressed, taking a balanced approach that demonstrates the complexity and nuance of these issues, and the far-from-linear impact that the BRI is having on global governance.
This incisive book will be critical reading for scholars and policy makers working on China and global governance. It will also provide useful insights for officials and practitioners working in BRI countries and international institutions, think-tanks and NGOs.
Reviews
A fascinating collection of detailed and data-driven studies that brings valuable on-the-ground insight into China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its global impacts. Sets the standard for future research on this important topic.
—Elizabeth Economy, Council on Foreign Relations, US
This book offers balanced and thoughtful insights on important aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, such as its impact on global institutions and governance and the implications for project host countries from Southeast Asia to Africa. The chapters usefully shed light on the complex interplay of economic, strategic, political, and cultural factors that combine to make the Belt and Road both a transformative initiative and an enigma.
—Danny Russel, Asia Society Policy Institute, US
This is an outstanding analysis of the nature of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative and its implications for global governance, backed up by penetrating and insightful case studies. Its comprehensive and compelling account of the subject is bound to receive widespread readership from the academic and policy-making community.
—Emil J. Kirchner, University of Essex, UK