DOCSLIB.ORG

Central Asia's Rail Network and the Eurasian Land Bridge

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Central Asia's Rail Network and the Eurasian Land Bridge Feature Central Asian Railways and Europe–Asia Land Bridge Central Asia’s Rail Network and the Eurasian Land Bridge Shigeru Otsuka By the 16th century, European voyagers the tracks of the Railways of the People’s The Silk Road Reborn had discovered a south passage to Asia Republic of China. This historical event around the Cape of Good Hope and the was made possible by the collapse of the There have been trade routes between Americas were being explored. In the Soviet Union and the new independence Asia and Europe since the dawn of human 17th century, Spain, Portugal and England of these five central Asian countries. history, culminating in the famous Silk vied for dominance of maritime trade Instead of linking China to the Soviet Road that ran a magnificent 15,000 km between Asia and Europe, sealing the fate Union, the railway suddenly connected between Xi’an in China and the Roman of the slower land route. Over the China to Central Asia. Empire. It carried many commodities following centuries, the European powers In 1996, the railway in Turkmenistan was such as silks, gems, gold, silver, carpets, and Russia extended their sphere of extended southwards across the border glass, turquoise, paper, spices, etc., from influence into the territories of the Silk with Iran to connect with the network of ancient times in both directions between Road and new national boundaries Iranian Islamic Republic Railways. Thus, Asia and Europe. changed the traders’ freedom of mobility. the east–west line had reached the Persian In addition to trade, the Silk Road was a Gradually, the Silk Road lost its purpose Gulf, with links to the Caucasus and highway of exchange for culture, art, and its trade died out. Turkey, becoming an important trade religion and knowledge. However, it was Four centuries later, although the Silk artery for Eurasia, just like the old Silk not a well-defined highway in the modern Road has lost its role as a transportation Road. sense, but was more a general route for corridor, many of the oases have become However, it still does not reach Europe— traders travelling between east and west busy towns with bustling bazaars and the gaps remain, and in civil disturbances in by camel, donkey cart, and on foot. The blue tiles of the minarets have not lost their other parts make passage difficult. At the long, difficult and dangerous journey shine. Tourists to the area still appreciate present, the ‘Silk Railway’ links Central across baking deserts, wind- and rain- the romance and many reminders of the Asia to China and Iran, but there is no swept mountains, and swollen rivers Silk Road. land bridge joining Central Asia to changed depending on the period, local But now, after many vicissitudes, there is Europe. ruler, climate and location of oases, once again a trade land route between east The only other uninterrupted line caravan posts and bazaars. Alexander the and west—not by camel or donkey but permitting travel from Europe to the Great, Ghengis Khan, Tamerlane and by railway. In 1991, the existing east– Pacific is the Trans-Siberian Railway. other historical figures passed this way to west lines of national railways in fight battles and establish empires that Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, would flower and wither. Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were linked to The China Land Bridge China’s east–west main lines are the Longhai Line from Xi’an to Lanzhou, the Lanxin Line from Lanzhou to Ürümqi, and the Beijiang Line from Ürümqi to Alashankou. This creates an uninterrupted rail link from east to west The origin and destination of the Silk Road express are shown in four languages: Kazak (top left), Russian (bottom left), Chinese (top right) and English. The Silk Road express runs in Eastern Kazakhstan linking Almaty and Ürümqi. (Author) (Author) 42 Japan Railway & Transport Review 28 • September 2001 Copyright © 2001 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Silk Road express at Druzhuba Station (Author) Platform at Druzhba Station with a four-rail trak for trains from both direction. The carriages exchage bogies at adjacent depot while passengers on board. (Author) China, running more or less parallel to section between Druzhba and Aktogay, crosses the bridge from one end to the Tianshan Beilu, one ancient route of the which was left abandoned for the next 30 other, presumably because there is little Silk Road. or so years. passenger demand. Today, only freight From Alashankou, the line continues west After the thaw in Chinese–Soviet relations trains operate on some sections and there across the border between China and in 1985, China recommenced are still many hurdles to overcome before Kazakhstan. Druzhba, the first station in construction of the Beijiang Line between the line can function as a true land bridge. Kazakhstan, is 20 km west of Alashankou. Ürümqi and Alashankou. The line was The most serious are gauge differences From there, the tracks continue another finished in 1990, linking the Chinese and that require time-consuming bogie 320 km west to Aktogay, where they link Soviet rail networks at Druzhba on 16 changes, and bothersome Customs up with one of Kazakhstan’s main lines. September 1990. Freight trains began procedures hindering cross-border This completes China’s land bridge running on the line in July 1991 followed exchange of people and freight. beginning at the Pacific port of by passenger trains in June 1992. This In addition, the track between Druzhba Lianyungang. established a direct link between Almaty, and Aktogay was abandoned for 30 years The land bridge took many years to then the capital of Kazakhstan and and is in such bad condition that faster complete, partly because of the complex Ürümqi in China. Ironically, with the running speeds are risky. In 1995, the and changing political landscape in China collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, by government of Japan provided yen loans and the former USSR. China’s railway the time operations officially began in for repairs and other improvements and network only extended as far west as September 1992, the line linked China work is now completed. Lanzhou, and there was no rail line with the newly independent Kazakhstan. between Druzhba and Aktogay in the Since then, trains have been providing a Soviet Union. However, in 1954, when direct link between Lanzhou in China and The East–West Line Today relations between the two countries were Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, via extremely cordial, they announced plans Almaty. However, by late 2000, the direct The east–west line from China crossing to construct a new railway linking the two link has been shortened, only joining into Kazakhstan soon links up with the end lines. Agreement was reached on Ürümqi to Almaty, with two return runs most easterly of four north–south lines at construction of the Ürümqi–Aktogay each week, one operated by China, and Aktogay, which leads southwest to Almaty, section in 1956, and the Druzhba– the other by Kazakhstan. The train the former capital of Kazakhstan, and then Aktogay section was completed in 1959. carriages bear the name Zihbek Zholy west. Almaty is at the southern edge of a But deteriorating relations in the early (meaning Silk Road) in bold letters, an large plain that suffers many serious 1960s caused China to halt construction appropriate name because this prestigious earthquakes, explaining why the capital of the Ürümqi–Alashankou section international train with private double was relocated north to Astana (formerly although the Lanxin Line between sleeping carriages and restaurant car Akmora and Tselinograd even further Lanzhou and Ürümqi had opened in follows the route of the ancient Silk Road. back). Astana, which means ‘The Capital’ 1962. With construction in China halted, Although China’s rail land bridge is in the Kazak language, is an air, rail and no trains ran on the newly completed complete, no single passenger train road hub with 2-hour connections to Copyright © 2001 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 28 • September 2001 43 Central Asian Railways and Europe–Asia Land Bridge the Bosporus Strait to complete the land bridge all the way from the east coast of China through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey to Europe. However, the desert border between China and Kazakhstan (formerly the China–USSR border) still has watchtowers along a long metal fence, and there are also buildings that appear to be watchtowers on the border mountains between the former Soviet Union and Iran. These structures remind us of the tensions Almaty Station, Kazakhstan (Author) existing between countries in this region. major centres around the country. to Bandar-e Abbas on the Persian Gulf, Border tensions are also heightened by Although Almaty is no longer the capital, giving maritime access to the landlocked civil and other wars west of Iran. it is still the country’s largest city, and countries of Central Asia. But only local remains the centre of commerce, culture passenger services are offered at present Background to Central Asian and education. and there is no direct service from the Railway Network About 1000 km west of Almaty, the Turkmenistan–Iran border to the sea. continuance of the east–west line crosses The line running west from Tehran passes The five central Asian countries of into Uzbekistan and enters Tashkent, the through Tabriz, then crosses the Iran– Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, capital. Tashkent is Central Asia’s largest Turkey border at Kapicoi, about 870 km Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan were part of the city and has a population of more than 2 west of Tehran and continues another 100 15 republics making up the former Soviet million. It is the only city in Central Asia km to the eastern bank of Lake Van.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Post-Glacial Flooding of the Bering Land Bridge Dated to 11 Cal Ka BP Based on New Geophysical and Sediment Records
    Clim. Past, 13, 991–1005, 2017 https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-13-991-2017 © Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Post-glacial flooding of the Bering Land Bridge dated to 11 cal ka BP based on new geophysical and sediment records Martin Jakobsson1, Christof Pearce1,2, Thomas M. Cronin3, Jan Backman1, Leif G. Anderson4, Natalia Barrientos1, Göran Björk4, Helen Coxall1, Agatha de Boer1, Larry A. Mayer5, Carl-Magnus Mörth1, Johan Nilsson6, Jayne E. Rattray1, Christian Stranne1,5, Igor Semiletov7,8, and Matt O’Regan1 1Department of Geological Sciences and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden 2Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark 3US Geological Survey MS926A, Reston, Virginia 20192, USA 4Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden 5Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA 6Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 7Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041 Vladivostok, Russia 8Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia Correspondence to: Martin Jakobsson ([email protected]) Received: 26 January 2017 – Discussion started: 13 February 2017 Accepted: 1 July 2017 – Published: 1 August 2017 Abstract. The Bering Strait connects the Arctic and Pacific Strait and the submergence of the large Bering Land Bridge. oceans and separates the North American and Asian land- Although the precise rates of sea level rise cannot be quanti- masses. The presently shallow ( ∼ 53 m) strait was exposed fied, our new results suggest that the late deglacial sea level during the sea level lowstand of the last glacial period, which rise was rapid and occurred after the end of the Younger permitted human migration across a land bridge today re- Dryas stadial.
    [Show full text]
  • Publication: BELT and ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI)
    “CGSS is a Non-Profit Institution with a mission to help improve policy and decision-making through analysis and research” Copyright © Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS) All rights reserved Printed in Pakistan Published in April, 2017 ISBN 978 969 7733 05 7 Please do not disseminate, distribute or reproduce, in whole or part, this report without prior consent of CGSS CGSS Center for Global & Strategic Studies, Islamabad 3rd Floor, 1-E, Ali Plaza, Jinnah Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan Tel: +92-51-8319682 Email: [email protected] Web: www.cgss.com.pk Abstract Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is a massive project which can be termed as a revival of the Ancient Silk Road in order to materialize the Prophecy of Asian Century through the economic expansion and infrastructural build-up by China. The project comprises of two major components that are: 21st Century Maritime Silk Route (MSR) and Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) which is further distributed in six overland economic corridors where China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one significant corridor. The project holds massive importance for China in particular and all the other stakeholders in general and will provide enormous opportunity for the socio-economic as well as the infrastructural development of many countries across the globe. The rationale behind China’s massive investment in this project is to attain global domination through geopolitical expansions. China’s economic activities and investment are directed to the promotion of global trade. Although the commencement of the project met with skeptical views as for few specific countries, it is China’s strategic policy to upsurge and enhance its military and economic presence in the World especially in the Indian Ocean and emerge as an economic giant by replacing USA’s superpower status.
    [Show full text]
  • TRACKWORKER (Incorporating the Signal)
    Model and Miniature TRACKWORKER (incorporating the Signal) This is the one that nearly got away - Now finally available via the Web! MRC eld from the members of Uck Articles and Features News, The journal of Uckeld Model Railway Club. Published on an occasional2008 basis / 2009 Winter 2001 / 2002 Dec2008TWCover.indd 1 10/01/2009, 07:03 Model and Miniature TrackWorker Winter 2008/2009 Editor: John Pollington. e-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS Next Issue: Summer 2009 CLUB DIARY Deadline for the next issue will be determined by the Meetings and other events: 2 amount of material submitted to the Editor. FEATURE Submission of any item which may be of interest Adventures of K.C. the Engineer: 3 to our readers would be welcome, including good quality colour or monochrome photos or diagrams for inclusion on the front and rear cover, or to EXHIBITION REPORTS complement written articles. Publication cannot be Club Show 2001 - First Impressions: 7 guaranteed and material may have to be edited, split or held over for future issues. Bentley Miniature Railway since 2000: 8 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those LAYOUT REPORTS of the Editor, the Management Council or the Board Leysdown (P4): 10 of Directors. Buckham Hill (0): 10 Test Track “Polo Mint” (N, TT, 00, EM &P4: 10 Netherhall and Fletching (00): 10 Cover photograph Oak Valley (N): 10 Cranbrook (P4): 10 Laurie’s Wren “Bill Powell” arriving at Glyndebourne Wood station back in 2005, during BMR’s 10th Anniversary cavalcade weekend. Editorial Time flies yet again, and it’s more than a few years since the last issue, so here I go burning the midnight oil again.
    [Show full text]
  • Detachment Instead of Confrontation: Post-European Russia in Search of Self-Sufficiency
    Detachment Instead of Confrontation: Post-European Russia in Search of Self-Sufficiency Alexei Miller, Fyodor Lukyanov The report was written by Alexei Miller, Professor at European University in St. Petersburg and Central European University in Budapest; Fyodor lukyAnov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs magazine and a Research Professor at the National Research University-Higher School of Economics. Alexei Miller, Fyodor Lukyanov Along with all the complexes of a superior nation, Russia has the great inferiority complex of a small country. Joseph Brodsky Less Than One, 1976 “Our eagle, the heritage of Byzantium, is a two-headed one. Of course, eagles with one head are strong and powerful as well, but if you cut off the head of our eagle which is turned to the East, you will not turn him into a one-headed eagle, you will only make him bleed.” Russian Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, from the speech in the State Duma in support of the construction of the Amur Railway, 1908 This project originated in 2015 when intellectual interaction between Russia and the West was rapidly degrading to mutual accusations and verbal fights over “who is to blame” and “how much more Russia should suffer before it is ready to repent.” We sought to provide a forum for analysts and political practitioners from Russia, Europe, the United States, and China to con- duct a constructive dialogue and ultimately move from producing endless recriminations and claims to discussing the future of Russia’s role in international affairs. Naturally, this also meant discussing the future of the world as a whole.
    [Show full text]
  • Electrodynamics of Reactive Power in the Space of Inter-Substation Zones of AC Electrified Railway Line
    energies Article Electrodynamics of Reactive Power in the Space of Inter-Substation Zones of AC Electrified Railway Line Mykola Kostin 1, Anatolii Nikitenko 2,* , Tetiana Mishchenko 3 and Lyudmila Shumikhina 4 1 Department of Electrical Engineering and Electromechanics, Dnipro National University of Railway Transport Named after Academician V. Lazaryan, Lazaryana St. 2, Room 238, 49-010 Dnipro, Ukraine; [email protected] 2 Electric Traction Division, Electrical Power Engineering Institute, Warsaw University of Technology, Koszykowa St. 75, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland 3 Department of Intelligent Power Supply Systems, Dnipro National University of Railway Transport Named after Academician V. Lazaryan, Lazaryana St. 2, Room 334, 49-010 Dnipro, Ukraine; [email protected] 4 Department of Philological Disciplines and Foreign Languages, Dnipro College of Railway Transport and Transport Infrastructure, Pushkin Av. 77a, Room 504, 49-006 Dnipro, Ukraine; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-2223-476-16 Abstract: In railway traction, the definition of “electromagnetic field” is functionally connected to the concept of the reactive power consumed by the electric rolling stock, and characterized by the running and standing electromagnetic waves in the space of the inter-substation zones from the site of the AC traction system. Such a definition is established and theoretically justified by the theory of electromagnetic fields. This article uses the methodology of this theory, in particular, a method for power balance estimation in electromagnetic fields based on Maxwell’s equations, as well as methods for the analysis of running and standing electromagnetic waves based on the theory of reflection, propagation and transmission of plane harmonic waves.
    [Show full text]
  • The Less-Splendid Isolation of the South American Continent
    news and update ISSN 1948-6596 commentary The less-splendid isolation of the South American continent Only few biogeographic scenarios capture the im- lower Central America (Costa Rica) and South agination as much as the closure of the Isthmus of America (northern Colombia), and that some Panama. The establishment of this connection snapping shrimp populations were already split ended the “splendid isolation” of the South Amer- long before the Isthmus had finally closed (most ican continent (Simpson 1980), a continent that between 7–10 mya but some >15 mya). Next to had been unconnected to any other land mass for this, several papers showed that plants also mi- over 50 million years. When the Isthmus rose out grated between North and South America prior to of the water some 3 million years ago (mya) the the closure of the Isthmus (e.g., Erkens et al. 2007, Great American Biotic Interchange started. Since Bacon et al. 2013), although for plants it is difficult terrestrial biotic interchange was no longer to rule out that this happened via long-distance blocked by the Central American Seaway, dispersal. Thus, the new findings of Montes and (asymmetrical) invasion of taxa across this new colleagues fit much better with a wealth of evi- land bridge transformed biodiversity in North as dence from the biological realm that has been well as South America (Leigh et al. 2014). Or so amassed over the last years, than the old model of the story goes. a relatively rapid rise of the Isthmus. A recent paper by Montes et al. (2015) casts If the land-bridge was available much earli- further serious doubt on this scenario from a geo- er to many terrestrial organisms, the question that logical perspective.
    [Show full text]
  • Day 2 Social Studies
    Day 2 Social Studies - Read the article "The Earliest Americans" and complete the Build Your Map Skills page and Extinct Animals of North America page. Language Arts - Draw a self-portrait of yourself in the center of a piece of paper. Write a simile that describes parts of yourself. You must have at least 6 similes. For example, I would point to my hair and say "My hair is as red as a tomato." Reminder: a simile is a comparison of two things using like or as. Science- Help! My rose plant is no longer able to carry out photosynthesis, meaning that it can't make its own food anymore. Create an alternate system to keep my rose plant alive . Develop a new system and parts of the plant that will help it be able to obtain nutrients using pictures and descriptions. Math - Look through old magazines and newspapers for 15 numbers that have decimals. Cut out and paste the numbers onto paper in least to greatest order. Use the cut-out numbers to make up five word problems dealing with addition, subtraction, or multiplication. Make a separate key for the problems. Staple the problems and the key to the construction paper. he Earliest Americans. f \ \ Did you ever wonder in what kind of homes the first Americans lived or what kind of food they ate? Anthropologists and archaeologists devote their lives to answering such questions. Anthropologists are scientists who study all aspects of human beings, such as their society and culture. Archaeologists are scientists who use physical evidence and artifacts to analyze human cultures.
    [Show full text]
  • Rail Vehicles: the Resistance to the Movement and the Controllability
    S.Yu. Sapronova, V.P. Tkachenko, O.V. Fomin, I.I. Kulbovskiy, E.P. Zub RAIL VEHICLES: THE RESISTANCE TO THE MOVEMENT AND THE CONTROLLABILITY monograph Dnipro 2017 UDC 629.4.072:629.1.072 C 19 This monograph is recommended for printing by the Science Council of DUIT STATE UNIVERSITY OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY (protocol No 1 dd 8.12.2017). Reviewers: Miamlin S.V. – doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Vice-Rector on Scientific Work of Dnipropetrovsk National University of Railway Transport named after academician V. Lazaryan Gorbunov M. I. – doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Head of Railway Transport, Automobile Transport and Lifting-Transporting Machines of Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University S.Yu. Sapronova, V.P. Tkachenko, O.V. Fomin, I.I. Kulbovskiy, E.P. Zub. C19 Rail Vehicles: The Resistance to the Movement and the Controllability: Monograph. Dnipro: Ukrmetalurginform STA, 2017. – 160 p. ISBN 978-966-921-163-7 The monograph substantiates the existence and determines the origin of the constituent element of the resistance to the movement within rail carriages; the constituent is determined by the control of the wheel pairs within the railway track. In this book, we suggest the method to analyze closed power circuit in mechanical power transmission applied to rolling stock. The method of mathematical modeling for two- point contact of the wheel with the rail has also been developed. The characteristics of the kinematic resistance to the movement for a number of types of rolling stock have been obtained. There are power factors which control the rail carriages and their analysis is very important, therefore we address to it in the book as well.
    [Show full text]
  • Vision for the Northeast Asia Transportation Corridors
    Northeast Asia Economic Conference Organizing Committee Transportation Subcommittee Chairman KAYAHARA, Hideo Japan: Director General, the Japan Port and Harbor Association/ Counselor, ERINA Committee Members DAI, Xiyao PRC: Director, Tumen River Area Development Administration, the People’ s Government of Jilin Province WANG, Shengjin PRC: Dean, Northeast Asia Studies College of Jilin University TSENGEL, Tsegmidyn Mongolia: State Secretary, Ministry of Infrastructure SEMENIKHIN, Yaroslav RF: President, Far Eastern Marine Research, Design and Technology Institute (FEMRI) Byung-Min AHN ROK: Head, Northeast Asia Research Team, Korea Transportation Institute(KOTI) GOMBO, Tsogtsaikhan UN: Deputy Director, Tumen Secretariat, UNDP Secretariat ERINA (Ikuo MITSUHASHI, Senior Fellow, Kazumi KAWAMURA, Researcher, Research Division, Dmiriy L. Sergachev, Researcher, Research Division) Vision for the Northeast Asia Transportation Corridors Contents Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 Nine Transportation Corridors in Northeast Asia.................................... 2 Chapter 3 Current Situation and Problems of the Nine Transportation Corridors in Northeast Asia ....................................................................................... 5 3.1 Taishet~Vanino Transportation Corridor 3.2 Siberian Land Bridge (SLB) Transportation Corridor 3.3 Suifenhe Transportation Corridor 3.4 Tumen River Transportation Corridor 3.5 Dalian Transportation Corridor
    [Show full text]
  • China's Belt and Road: a Game Changer?
    Alessia Amighini Offi cially announced by Xi Jinping But it also reaches out to the Middle in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative East as well as East and North (BRI) has since become the Africa, a truly strategic area where centrepiece of China’s economic the Belt joins the Road. Europe, the diplomacy. It is a commitment end-point of the New Silk Roads, to ease bottlenecks to Eurasian both by land and by sea, is the trade by improving and building ultimate geographic destination and networks of connectivity across political partner in the BRI. Central and Western Asia, where the BRI aims to act as a bond for This report provides an in-depth the projects of regional cooperation analysis of the BRI, its logic, rationale and integration already in progress and implications for international in Southern Asia. economic and political relations. China’s Belt and Road: a Game Changer? China’s Alessia Amighini EDITED BY ALESSIA AMIGHINI Senior Associate Research Fellow and Co-Head of Asia Programme at ISPI. Associate Professor of CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD: Economics at the University of Piemonte Orientale and Catholic University of Milan. A GAME CHANGER? INTRODUCTION BY PAOLO MAGRI ISBN 978-88-99647-61-2 Euro 9,90 China’s Belt and Road: a Game Changer? Edited by Alessia Amighini ISBN 978-88-99647-61-2 ISBN (pdf) 978-88-99647-62-9 ISBN (ePub) 978-88-99647-63-6 ISBN (kindle) 978-88-99647-64-3 DOI 10.19201/ispichinasbelt ©2017 Edizioni Epoké - ISPI First edition: 2017 Edizioni Epoké.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape
    China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape │ 3 China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the global trade, investment and finance landscape China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development strategy aims to build connectivity and co-operation across six main economic corridors encompassing China and: Mongolia and Russia; Eurasian countries; Central and West Asia; Pakistan; other countries of the Indian sub-continent; and Indochina. Asia needs USD 26 trillion in infrastructure investment to 2030 (Asian Development Bank, 2017), and China can certainly help to provide some of this. Its investments, by building infrastructure, have positive impacts on countries involved. Mutual benefit is a feature of the BRI which will also help to develop markets for China’s products in the long term and to alleviate industrial excess capacity in the short term. The BRI prioritises hardware (infrastructure) and funding first. This report explores and quantifies parts of the BRI strategy, the impact on other BRI-participating economies and some of the implications for OECD countries. It reproduces Chapter 2 from the 2018 edition of the OECD Business and Financial Outlook. 1. Introduction The world has a large infrastructure gap constraining trade, openness and future prosperity. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are working hard to help close this gap. Most recently China has commenced a major global effort to bolster this trend, a plan known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China and economies that have signed co-operation agreements with China on the BRI (henceforth BRI-participating economies1) have been rising as a share of the world economy.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Eurasian Century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chapter 3
    china’s eurasian century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative Nadège Rolland Chapter 3 Drivers of the Belt and Road Initiative This is a preview chapter from China’s Eurasian Century? Political and Strategic Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative. To purchase the monograph in which this chapter appears, visit <http://www.nbr.org> or contact <[email protected]>. © 2017 The National Bureau of Asian Research Chapter 3 Drivers of the Belt and Road Initiative In less than three years, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become the defining concept of China’s foreign policy and is now omnipresent in official rhetoric. It has established a general direction for the country’s efforts to build an interconnected, integrated Eurasian continent before 2050. Judging by the importance that the leadership has given the concept, and the quantity of financial, diplomatic, and intellectual resources that have been devoted to it, arguing that BRI is just an empty shell or vacuous political slogan has become increasingly difficult. Its paramount importance for the core leadership is also hard to deny. What is so crucial about the initiative that the vital energies of the entire country have been mobilized to give it the best chances of succeeding? Why is Beijing so eager to invest billions of dollars in Eurasia’s infrastructure connectivity? What are the drivers behind BRI and what are its goals? A first partial answer to these questions can be found in Xi Jinping’s speeches. In several instances, he has argued that
    [Show full text]