Belt and Road: A Chinese World Order

I like how Mr. Maçães first gives the details of the enormous investments in roads, railroads, and ports, and then explains how they fit with China’s more aggressive economic strategy. The book has four sections: • The physical and political details of Belt and Road. • How Belt and Road changes the world’s economy. • How Belt and Road challenges the US-dominant power structure. • Speculation on what the world will look like after the Belt and Road is complete. Here are some points I found interesting: THE PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL DETAILS OF BELT AND ROAD • The estimated cost for the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is $4 trillion to $8 trillion. • The Export-Import Bank of China plans to finance more than 1000 projects in forty-nine countries. • Not only did China include the BRI in its current five-year plan, but it also wrote it into the Chinese Communist Party’s Constitution, signifying how important it is to China’s leadership. • China imports vast amounts of oil, and most of it has to pass through the Indian Ocean and Strait of Malacca into the South China Sea. If an enemy’s navy attacked these shipping lanes, China would quickly starve of energy. With Belt and Road, new pipelines to Central Asia, Russia, and Iran will relieve this vulnerability. • China is planning to pay for oil from these new sources in yuan, not dollars. As oil is the world’s most traded commodity, and China is the largest oil importer, this action will challenge the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. THE BELT AND ROAD AND THE WORLD ECONOMY • The primary goal of the Belt and Road is economic integration. • China could fall into the “middle-income trap,” where its average wage rates rise too high to attract labor-intensive jobs, but the country’s structural issues prevent it from becoming competitive in higher value-added jobs. • Chinese companies are looking to move some factories to Central Asia, where the costs are lower. However, these plants will be customers for machinery built at higher value-added factories in China. • China has tried to lock up the supply of cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo, because cobalt is required to build lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, and China plans to be the world leader in building electric cars. THE BELT AND ROAD AND WORLD POLITICS • India believes that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a significant threat to its security. • India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia are considering a joint regional infrastructure plan in response to Belt and Road. • China may need to increase its military presence in areas where Belt and Road projects are threatened by local resistance. • At the Belt and Road summit in May 2017, the European Union would not sign the joint statement on trade because they believed Beijing was trying to favor Chinese companies in contracts. As one official said, “It’s about selling their stuff.” THE WORLD AFTER THE BELT AND ROAD • The Belt and Road will succeed if it moves China into the role of the dominant superpower, ending its ‘century of humiliation’ when the west dominated it. • One scenario is that China will become a prosperous western-like economy without causing any global conflict. • Another scenario is that the global world order divides into two irreconcilable visions on individual freedom, transparency, and the rule of law. Note: as some reviewers have complained, this book doesn’t contain any maps of the Belt and Road Initiative, so expect to do a few web searches. However, that didn’t bother me because the scope of Belt and Road is so enormous, it is easier for me to see it online than on a single book page. This book’s strength is Mr. Maçães’ analysis.

I'm heading to the mid of the book. The insights about how China has taken on the challenges to be the an economic force for the 21st century are very valuable. As other reviewers pointed out, a map is essential to understand the full scope of this initiative. It's my first book that dives into China, probably not the last, so far I found it very compelling.

Reliable descriptivo of near future with global económic center movíng east. Eurasia seems to be our future continent! We need a political discusión and become i de pendant of the USA.

The topic is very interesting and the author’s knowledge of the subject is very good. I just struggled with his style of writing

I thought I understood Belt and Road better than most of my fellow Americans. In reading Macaes’ eloquent, in-depth, superbly reported book I learned that I knew absolutely nothing. This is a must read to understand one of the most significant global strategic initiatives in history - objectively reported both in strengths and weaknesses.

Macaes does a good job in describing the Belt and Road from an official-like perspective the first half seems to be a positive introduction of what the initiative is followed by the second half of criticisms and responses. Indeed the coherence of this China megaproject has not yet been met with an alternative. That is the tragedy. Too rosy about a China-centrjc world, though.

This is a great book with a broad and differentiated perspective of how China is evolving their strategy to engage with the world. Well researched and well written

Thorough presentation of the Chinese initiative. Very surprised Trump’s pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership was not discussed, allowing a clearer path for China.

BELT AND ROAD by Bruno Macaes is extremely comprehensive as it provides with intricacies of Belt & Road Initiative of china.Since author himself is senior fellow at Renmin University of China & Hudson university ,he present us with first hand account of BRI. Book is very well researched with datas, facts, quotes, newspaper articles & statements of leaders.Though the first two chapters I found not in continous flow but author in later chapters aroused my attention to minute details also. Overall the book is very informative can be used by academicians , researchers and students who are interested in geopolitics. If you want to know more about chapters i would provide it in following : The author has intelligently divided into 5 chapters: 1) In 1st chapter author presents history of chinese ambitions from Mao to deng to xi jinping & connects it to arrival of BRI.Here he links BRI with traditional concept of tianxia. 2) In 2nd chapter of nuts & bolts ,author details about section, subsection & various links of BRI Initiative. 3) In 3rd chapter author explains how china is trying to alter economic structure & global value chain in its favour.Author emphasizes on China recent manufacturing strategy, Made in china 2025 which could cause new wave of revolution. 4) Next chapter shows how BRI has potential to alter political structure & alliances.The impact of which is more visible in disruption of EU unity.This chapter also presents Indian conundrum of not joing BRI. 5)In the last chapter book has unfolded many scenarios of what could happen after BRI.eg Could BRI succeed, what would be benchmark for success,Could BRI change global governance,economic & strategic rules.

This is the second book of this author trilogy about a new world after China transformation. Ii is a excellent essay about China and his purpose to be in the international future.

Un libro indispensable para entender el surgimiento de China en geopolítica actual. Ni lo ve como amenaza (tipo Pillsbury) ni es alarmista. Muy balanceado con pros y contras y posibles escenarios

A deeper look of the changing world. And why those changes are needed. We need to see the world outside our borders.

日本語の書籍ではなかなかお目にかかれない解説書です。 Chinaを中心としたサプライチェーンを築くことで、経済的な恩恵を与えつつも、 浸透していく方法の解説がなされております。 China、やりますね。