Data-Driven Analytics for China’s Overseas Construction Projects in the Contexts of the Maritime Silk Road and Global Maritime Network

Zhi-Hua Hu,Guangdong Wu

doi:10.1155/2020/8129172

Abstract

The Belt and Road (BR) Initiative (BRI) is usually examined in geopolitics perspectives, while the studies ignored the consistency of the BRI with the world economy and China’s historical international business. This study developed a maritime big data system to analyze global interactions upon the global maritime network generated from the system. The BR is coupled with Chinese overseas construction projects (COCPs) in the context of the global maritime network by data-driven analytics methods. A network is developed by extracting the spatial interactions among maritime ports, and time and spatial analyzing methods are used for vessel flows among maritime ports. Then, nine analytical experiments are conducted to examine the relations between COCP and BRI. The figure of the BR emerges from COCP and the maritime network. The BR region and especially the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) had emerged as a definite shape ten years ago. The BRI creates additional opportunities in developing the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the connectivity between BR and the world. The policy implications considering China, regions, and global communities are further be studied. The BR is investigated by using the big data coupled with the COCP other than just depicting from geographical and economic views.

Highlights

Launched by China in 2013, the Belt and Road (BR) Initiative (BRI) [1] aims to establish new land and maritime trading routes, links, and business opportunities by further connecting China, Asia, Europe, Africa, and countries with various independent economies (IEs) along with the land and maritime corridors
Unlike many Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) studies focusing on its geopolitics ambitions and impacts [2], this study looks into the relations among BRI, China’s overseas construction projects (COCPs) and maritime networks
From these three diagrams of the top 20 IEs contracted with China, the BR and Africa are the focuses of COCP the top IEs have changed to some extends in these 13 years

Summary

Introduction

Launched by China in 2013, the Belt and Road (BR) Initiative (BRI) [1] aims to establish new land and maritime trading routes, links, and business opportunities by further connecting China, Asia, Europe, Africa, and countries with various independent economies (IEs) along with the land and maritime corridors. Especially on transport and logistics facilities and corridors, will be generated and propelled by China and the IEs in BR. E COCP contracts are booming due to the engagement of China’s “go out” strategy and national economy development [3]. In another aspect, the trade cargos among the IEs are usually transported by maritime vessels, even accounting about 90% of the total trade volume. Trade and investment are ways for an IE to cooperate and make profits with other IEs. is study examined the relations between the maritime transport system and the COCP partially because big construction projects involve the transportation of vast amounts of resources

Methods

Results

Conclusion