China’s Belt Road Initiative and the New Eurasian Order

At this seminar, Professor William Callahan will present some interesting findings from his recent book "China Dreams: 20 Views of the Future".

Since Xi Jinping became leader in 2012, he has redirected Chinese foreign policy. While it is popular to look to theories of the international system – offensive realism and liberal institutionalism – to explore this issue, Callahan follows constructivism to take seriously the role of ideas and domestic politics in foreign policy-making.

Through an analysis of official and unofficial sources, it traces linkages between ideas, institutions and behavior in Chinese foreign policy. In particular, it argues that Beijing is combining new ideas (China Dream, Asia Dream, World Dream), new policies (comprehensive diplomacy and security), new institutions (AIIB), and new projects (BRI) to build what Xi calls the “community of shared destiny.”

The goal is to weave neighboring countries into a Sino-centric network of economic, political, cultural and security relations. Beijing’s grand strategy thus is to re-constitute the Eurasian regional order – and eventually global order – with new governance ideas, norms, and rules. Theoretically, the essay shows how “connectivity” is more than an issue of the “hardware” of physical infrastructure; it is also a “software” issue of the connectivity of ideas, institutions and behavior in diplomacy itself.

[gaohang]

Maybe there is a misunderstanding about so-called "periphery". The Chinese word "Zhou Bian" has different meanings in different contexts. In terms of diplomacy "Zhou Bian" means neighbouring countries which is close to China instead of the small or the weak compared with the big and the strong.

[weiwang]

"Zhou Bian" just means around.

[strategicgamer]

May I suggest that using a 'European yardstick" as a reference and viewing Asia through a glass window tinted by European values may not be helpful. In fact it can be a risky approach because the results one get can often be misleading. I remember back in the early 80's I went to a dinner party with visitors from Asia. In the 80's GE has more than 2000 operations with many sales offices world wide so we have colleagues from almost every corner of the earth. After dinner one of my senior colleagues, an American asked one of the visitor, an Asian man, if he would like to dance with his wife. The Asian man politely declined and my American colleague, it seems to me, did not take it too happily. Later that evening I talked to my Asian colleague on the way back to his hotel, . He was a very talented engineer and he told me by his culture it will be a taboo to come into physical contact (beside shaking hand) with the wife of another man, let alone the wife of his own senior colleague, a person he has great respect. Such is the gap between the culture of East and West. There are many smaller things I had to learn the hard way. Another example is: one terrible cold winter evening, also in the early 80's, on taking my seat in a beautiful Japanese restaurant in the Tokyo Ginza district I said I wish to have a hot miso soup thinking it could help me fight that terrible chill. My Japanese host was taken aback. He was visibly shocked and asked if I am not happy with the restaurant and is meaning to leave even before the dinner starts. I said no and he asked: then why are you asking for a miso soup? After some discussion I learned for the first time that for the guest when he finally drank his miso soup it is a signal to the host that he is done with the dinner, the endless kanpai, the socialization etc and wishes to leave. Don't we all start dinner with an appetizer followed by a soup before we eat the mains? Well at least in Japan of the 80's it is not true,

[igorkluch]

and Russia's North Road - the Russian northern trade route? - They are comparable?
In Russia, on the northern trade route said first in 1930, then in 1950--1960's - then appeared nuclear-powered icebreakers, and then began to speak of the Trans-Siberian Railway - the railway, which will connect the West with the East - the second half of 1970, then again We began to talk about the northern sea Route in 1980. But nothing has changed - but spent a lot of money on the development of (the money utilized by whom?). Again hyperproject - get or not?

[DipakBose-bqvv]

China had over invested and over produced steel, cements, building materials, which it wants to dump on other countries. That is the reason it has created International Infrastructure Bank and One Belt One Road scheme, so that it gives loans in kind to Pakistan, Turkey, Africa, and in future China will demand payments in Dollar money. .Both serves the purpose of China and every other countries get cheated.

[chfgbp]

well better than power through war and genocide. 😉

[khk]

OBOR is similar to the Imperial Japan's propaganda concept "The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere"?. Do you know what "The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" is beyond just hearsay or someone's whisper?

[strategicgamer]

May I suggest that using a 'European yardstick" as a reference and viewing Asia through a glass window tinted by European values may not be helpful. In fact it can be a risky approach because the results one get can often be misleading. I remember back in the early 80's I went to a dinner party with visitors from Asia. In the 80's GE has more than 2000 operations with many sales offices world wide so we have colleagues from almost every corner of the earth. After dinner one of my senior colleagues, an American asked one of the visitor, an Asian man, if he would like to dance with his wife. The Asian man politely declined and my American colleague, it seems to me, did not take it too happily. Later that evening I talked to my Asian colleague on the way back to his hotel, . He was a very talented engineer and he told me by his culture it will be a taboo to come into physical contact (beside shaking hand) with the wife of another man, let alone the wife of his own senior colleague, a person he has great respect. Such is the gap between the culture of East and West. There are many smaller things I had to learn the hard way. Another example is: one terrible cold winter evening, also in the early 80's, on taking my seat in a beautiful Japanese restaurant in the Tokyo Ginza district I said I wish to have a hot miso soup thinking it could help me fight that terrible chill. My Japanese host was taken aback. He was visibly shocked and asked if I am not happy with the restaurant and is meaning to leave even before the dinner starts. I said no and he asked: then why are you asking for a miso soup? After some discussion I learned for the first time that for the guest when he finally drank his miso soup it is a signal to the host that he is done with the dinner, the endless kanpai, the socialization etc and wishes to leave. Don't we all start dinner with an appetizer followed by a soup before we eat the mains? Well at least in Japan of the 80's it is not true,