The Belt & Road Initiative: New Driving Force for Regionalisation and Globalisation

The Belt & Road Initiative: New Driving Force for Regionalisation and Globalisation CHEN, X. 2021. The Belt and Road Initiative as Epochal Regionalisation. London: Routledge

BU SU * Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University

THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE In general, this book answered three main qu-

(BRI) is China’s idea, but the opportunities it has estions: How does the BRI move towards epochal

created belong to the world. Over the past nine ye- regionalization? How will the new regionalization

ars, the BRI has evolved from a concept into tangible promoted by the BRI affect globalization? Can the

actions, from vision to reality, bringing enormous BRI provide sustainable public goods?

opportunities and benefits to countries worldwide.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russi- How Does the BRI Move Towards Epochal

a-Ukraine crisis, our world has entered a period of Regionalization?

turbulence and transformation, but the BRI coope-

ration did not come to a halt. It continued to move Prof. Chen takes a new perspective on the BRI, na-

forward, showing remarkable resilience and vitality. mely that it is a synergistic force centered on the re-

Facing an increasingly complex international en- gionalization of corridors.

vironment, will China continue to reform and open First, the core of regionalization lies in corridor

up or close the door to the outside world? Prof. Chen regionalization. In the early stage, the corridors

Xiangming, the Distinguished Professor of Global were small in scale and did not have clear bounda-

Urban Studies and Sociology at Trinity College and ries. They were mainly formed naturally through

a guest professor at Fudan University, China, replied the market. Therefore, they were primarily centered

to this question in his recent monograph The Belt in cities of developed countries, just like the “Blue

and Road Initiative as Epochal Regionalisation. In Banana” in Europe (p. 20). However, the BRI, with

this book, he illustrated the contribution of the BRI its large span and its intention to connect the land

to regional and global connectivity with a regional and sea across Eurasia, has promoted the extension

focus, pointing out that the BRI is evolving from a of the corridor into a wider space, which has also

single initiative to a worldwide synergy. overcame the unbalanced global development.

*Corresponding author: Bu Su, Master Student from the Department of History, College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University. Address: No.333, Nanchen Road, Baoshan District, Shanghai 200444, China. Email: busu@shu.edu.cn.

90 How to cite: Bu,S. (2022). The Belt & Road Initiative: new driving force for regionalisation and globalisation.

[Review of the book The Belt and Road Initiative as Epochal Regionalisation, Chen, X.]. BRIQ Belt & Road Initiative, 4(1), 90-92.

Second, the BRI is driven by the spatial dyna- was lagging behind the rapid development of globa-

mics of China’s internal economic transformation. lisation in the following centuries until recent 20 ye-

China has made two very different regional pivots ars. The process of China’s globalisation can be best

in the past four decades. The first occurred in the represented by Xi’an, the ancient capital of 13 dynas-

1980s when China’s economic focus shifted to the ties. As one of the starting points of the Silk Road,

eastern coast and East Asia. This export-oriented Xi’an witnessed the glory and humiliation of China’s

industrial policy led to the formation of regional history until the China Railway Express (CR Exp-

manufacturing centers and the completion of supp- ress) brought new life to this city and a new driving

ly chain integration. The result is China attracted a force for the regional integration of Eurasia. This will

large amount of foreign investment, thus increasing certainly restrain the process of reverse globalisation

the share of international trade dramatically. The se- and enhance the sustainability of globalisation.

cond shift started since 21st century, when China’s Furthermore, the BRI accelerates the process of

economy began to focus on the western area and the global urbanisation through China’s external inf-

Eurasian continent. This is also an infrastructure-o- rastructure construction. The method of integrating

riented policy, with “Go West” and “Go Global” as transport networks and urban development was ini-

the climax of this transition (p. 26). In essence, this tiated in Britain as early as the 18th century, but the

is a supplement to the first regional transition of capitalist state inevitably excluded poor areas from

“unbalanced development”. the infrastructure system. (p. 46) Until now, many

Third, the BRI transmits the new regionalisation countries and regions in the world cannot partici-

to the whole world. Having consolidated its strong pate effectively in the global market because of the

internal economic backbone and external cross-bor- lack of infrastructure construction.

der links after two regional pivots, it is time for Chi- Today, as the world’s largest infrastructure builder,

na to pass on its valuable experience to the broader China is leading urbanisation on an unprecedented

world. China’s expertise lies in placing the three scale and at an unparalleled speed, contributing po-

processes of globalisation, urbanisation, and deve- sitively to the global society and economy. China’s

lopment as a whole. That is, based on large-scale infrastructure construction practice in overseas ci-

infrastructure development, by accelerating China’s ties is mainly reflected in the combination of special

urbanisation, industrialisation, and transportation economic zones and transportation corridors. For

development, new urban centers will be created to example, in Laos, the Boten Special Economic Zone,

renew the global urban hierarchy and provide a new which attracts a large amount of foreign investment,

impetus for the sustainable development of globali- has been established. The China-Laos Railway, whi-

sation from the ground up. ch links essential passageways, has also been ope-

ned. This approach of pulling urban development How Will the New Regionalization Promoted through infrastructure construction has created by the BRI Affect Globalization? new opportunities for numerous cities in Laos to

Prof. Chen pointed out that “The BRI’s regionalising become crucial nodes in the cross-border corridors

dynamics are reshaping globalisation, urbanisation of mainland Southeast Asia.

and development simultaneously and relationally.” Finally, the BRI provides feasible solutions for

(p. 80) sustainable development for developing count-

China was an earlier leader in globalisation, whi- ries based on China’s industrialisation experien-

ch can be traced back to the ancient Silk Road. Even ce. As the world seeks sustainable development,

the Westerners’ great exploration in the 15th century China is working hard to align the BRI with the

was later than Zheng He’s voyages. However, China UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China’s development experience has had a massi- on China’s own national strength.

ve impact on the world, most notably in its exp- Apart from the BRI, the COVID-19 vaccines have

loration of industrial sustainability. As early as been recognized as global public goods in the world. By

1979, China’s bold innovation in Shekou Industri- December 2021, China had delivered nearly 2 billion

al Zone in Shenzhen achieved sustainable indust- doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 100

rial development thanks to the “port-park-city” countries and international organizations, becoming

(PPC) model. Djibouti also benefited from being the most prominent foreign provider of vaccines. At

the first city to introduce the PPC model. The mo- the same time, China is conducting joint research,

del enhances the functionality of Djibouti’s ports, development, and production of vaccines with 16

highlighting its unique role as a transportation countries and working with 30 countries to develop

and logistics center, making Djibouti a sustainable the Belt and Road Vaccine Partnership Initiative. At

urban-industrial complex. This unique experien- present, the COVID-19 situation is still tricky. As a

ce of industrialisation has optimized the spatial major responsible country, China will continue to

combination of supply chains and provided new increase its public goods assistance to developing

opportunities for developing countries to partici- countries and strive to make the BRI a popular

pate in the development of globalisation and ur- platform for global public goods and cooperation. As

banisation. the year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI,

we expect it to inject more stability and certainty into

Can the BRI Provide Sustainable Public a turbulent world.

Goods? In general, this book brings a new perspective and

This is a problem facing reality and the future. In fact, framework to observe the BRI, elevating the early

over the past nine years, the BRI has evolved from a corridors to the level of regionalisation, driving the

single initiative into a collective force that has provi- joint development of developing countries and remote

ded public goods to many countries. At the same time, areas along the BRI, and becoming the backbone of

Prof. Chen warns that the BRI needs to consider sus- the “globalisation, urbanisation and development”

tainable supply capabilities both regionally and glo- framework. This book is very useful for domestic

bally (p. 82). This means that the BRI faces the risk and foreign scholars to have a better understanding

of insufficient supply on its way to becoming a global of the evolution and results of the inward reform and

public good. outward development of the BRI.

From a regional perspective, the actual connectivity Of course, there are some imperfections about this

effect of regional corridors created by the BRI is book. First of all, the pattern of regional cooperation

affected by various regions and may be limited to highlighted in this book is based on the “Five-Pronged

local areas, unable to “bring points to areas”. From Approach” (policy coordination, connectivity of

a global perspective, the BRI also faces long-term infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade,

potential risks and hazards, such as the ecological financial integration, and closer people-to-people

and economic burden of large-scale infrastructure ties). However, the relevant discussion in this book

construction. Moreover, the global economy is weak is lacking in people-to-people ties. If the people-to-

due to the impact of the epidemic and the conflict people and cultural exchanges between countries

between Russia and Ukraine nowadays. Consequently, along the routes can be supplemented, the policy

China has adjusted its economic structure again and suggestions of this book on the BRI will be more

implemented the “Dual Circulation”. But if it fails complete and rich. In addition, the discussion about

to ensure the long-term stability of the domestic the BRI and public goods in the last part of the book

economy and society, the BRI may cause an overdraft also needs to be further elaborated.