The Political Economy of China’s Strategic Layout in Europe: A Case Study of the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

Following with the rise of China’s economic power, it has been thinking about increasing its political power and influence in the world. Under this consideration, the “One Belt and One Road” (OBOR) initiative was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 when he visited Kazakhstan in September and Indonesia in October, the two countries who represent landlocked and maritime nations. From China’s strategic perspective, by means of the OBOR initiative, China not only can promote its trade and economic growth with countries along the routes, but also can disseminate China’s values and soft power. This therefore can deeply connect China with Asia, Africa and Europe and greatly strengthen China’s position and influence on the global stage. However, not every country welcomes China’s grand strategy and its well-designed layout in the regions. Thus, this article wants to use Europe as the example to explore China’s strategic considerations and layout in Europe by the OBOR projects, and also the attitudes and responses of Europe to China. It will be concluded with some suggestions.