Asan Plenum

Session: One Belt One Road
Date/Time: April 24, 2018 / 13:00-14:30

 

Rapporteur:
Gong Keyu, Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies

Moderator:
Anna Fifield, The Washington Post

Speakers:
Kent Calder, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Alice Ekman, Institut Français des Relations Internationales
Han Sukhee, Yonsei University
Scott Snyder, Council on Foreign Relations
Zhu Feng, Nanjing University

 

Session Sketch
In Session 1: One Belt One Road, the panelists sought to answer several questions, including: Is China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) part of the LIO or a challenge to it? Can other countries benefit from the BRI and overcome Chinese political pressure? Can the BRI succeed?

Western speakers, including Kent Calder and Scott Snyder from the USA and Alice Ekman, from Institut Français des Relations Internationales, spoke in depth about the dark side of the BRI. They argued that the BRI challenges the liberal international order by creating a Sinocentric global economic system. Their comments reflected concerns that Chinese investment may be tied to political concessions.

Han Sukhee, from Yonsei University in Korea, also remarked that the BRI has problematic issues, including the lack of careful planning, the changing of the name of the BRI, neighboring countries’ problems, domestic issues, etc.

Professor Zhu Feng, as the only expert from China, offered an alternative explanation of the BRI. He argued that the BRI’s aim is to simply export excess production and infrastructure equipment to developing countries, as opposed to other countries’ claims that China is expanding its political influence. He remarked that China should still “hide her capacities and bide her time,” like a “Smart Rising Power.”

The panel concluded that, if China wants to see the BRI succeed, it should try to follow the rules of the liberal international order. So, China should more deeply embrace the norms of global governance, national governance, etc. China should elucidate all the principles, framework, and cooperation priorities and mechanisms of the BRI clearly. Finally, China should contribute more towards peace and cooperation and the mutual benefit of other countries.

 

* The views expressed herein are summaries and may not necessarily reflect the views of the speakers or their affiliated institutions.