Chinese Infrastructure Research Articles

Tunnels of power: The cultural politics of the Beijing subway

Abstract This article investigates the cultural politics of the Beijing subway. Drawing on diverse sources, we trace the evolution of the subway over the last half-century to reveal that it transcends its fluctuating, time-specific practicalities to serve as a potent conduit through which the Chinese state consistently shapes subjecthood. The article begins with the subway’s Cold War inception as a military enterprise, spotlighting its deliberate concealment to safeguard the echelons of power and obscure both international and domestic tensions. The second section delves into the subway’s rebirth in the wake of China’s opening-up reform and rapid economic rise, as it transforms into a mobile gallery of political aesthetics that extols China’s cultural heritage and triumphs, cultivating national pride under siege from unleashed market and social forces. The final section dissects the subway’s orchestration of undesirable passengers, sculpting a socioeconomic hierarchy in the city’s commuting system. As a multifaceted prism, the Beijing subway encapsulates a range of covert and overt, pragmatic and aesthetic, and inclusive and exclusive elements in the cultural politics of Chinese infrastructure at large; and it illustrates the sustained centrality of state power in shaping individual subjectivities and defining the cultural and representational significance of Chinese infrastructure, albeit amid growing contestation.

Competition Between Japanese and Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Mongolia

Competition Between Japanese and Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Mongolia

De-risking, re-balancing and recentralising: Intra-state relations in Chinese-backed transport infrastructure projects in Europe

China's Belt and Road Initiative is the most visible manifestation of the country's wider internationalisation efforts in which infrastructure connectivity projects are central. Existing spatialised narratives of these projects have usefully focused on long-standing geopolitical binaries and bilateral state relations, as well as newer spatial ontologies of corridors, zones and networks. Yet they tend to underplay central-local state relations in the countries receiving Chinese infrastructure investment and so this paper examines these intra-state dynamics through three case studies of Chinese-backed transport projects in Germany, Italy and Hungary. Using Jessop, Brenner and Jones' ‘TPSN’ approach we argue that the promise of these infrastructure projects was virtuous insertion of places into global production networks, but in practice we see the central state over-riding local political actors. In Germany and Italy this is in the name of ‘de-risking’ Chinese investments whereby the re-centralisation of state power is a response to a perceived ‘China threat’. In Hungary, the centralised regime uses major infrastructure for legitimatory purposes and uses the growing connectivity to China as an Eastwards balance to its strained relations with Western Europe. We conclude by arguing that greater attentiveness to spatiality and power are needed in future studies of ‘de-risking’.

Interrogating Chinese going global policy in Nigeria: Implications for Neo-colonialism

The study sets out to examine Chinese going global policy in Nigeria in the context of the four key strategic objectives of the policy- resource seeking, market seeking, asset seeking and political gains- and how these have had some neo-colonial ramifications on the Nigerian state, based on the degree to which the Nigerian state asserts its agency in its relations with the Chinese State. By adopting a qualitative case study research design, documentary method of data collection, and theory of neo-colonialism, the study discovered that Chinese infrastructure aid and investment packages to Nigeria have aided the achievement of the Chinese strategic objectives in its going global policy to the detriment of Nigeria’s political and economic independence in a neo-colonial fashion, with little or no remediation from the Nigerian state or its agency. The study concludes and recommends that China and other great powers will continue to have a neo-colonial experimentation with Nigeria if it fails to assert its agency with such powers.

The Analysis of Chinese Infrastructure REITs--Take Fullgoal Capital Water Closed REITs for Example

The Analysis of Chinese Infrastructure REITs--Take Fullgoal Capital Water Closed REITs for Example

Privatization Framework and Chinese Infrastructure: Sanya Phoenix Airport Case Study

This manuscript delves into the privatization paradigm within Chinese infrastructure, utilizing the Sanya Phoenix Airport as a pivotal case study. It scrutinizes the implications of privatization theory alongside the residual effects of the planned economy on the operational efficacy and challenges of infrastructure projects. Through an incisive literature review and a detailed examination of the airport's evolution under HNA Group's privatized stewardship, this study elucidates the enhancements in operational efficiency juxtaposed with enduring challenges, notably financial duress. The analysis furnishes nuanced insights into the ramifications of privatization for infrastructure development in China, proffering cogent policy and strategic recommendations to foster sustainable advancement.

China’s experience of infrastructure megaprojects in Eurasia and Africa: Successes and contradictions

The research relevance is determined by the unprecedented scale of Chinese infrastructure initiatives, their potential impact on regional development and the geopolitical balance of power, as well as the controversial nature of their socio-economic and environmental consequences in the context of current global transformations. The study aims to provide a critical analysis of the successes and contradictions of Chinaʼs infrastructure initiatives. Synthesis, comparative analysis, critical analysis, modelling, structural-functional and systematisation methods were used in the study. The results of the study demonstrate the significant potential of Chinese infrastructure megaprojects to stimulate economic growth, and infrastructure development and deepen regional integration in Eurasia and Africa. However, despite the declared benefits, these initiatives are characterised by several contradictions and challenges. Large-scale Chinese investments carry risks of debt dependence for recipient countries, as they are often provided on non-transparent and unfavourable terms. In addition, the implementation of megaprojects is accompanied by high corruption risks, a lack of proper accountability mechanisms, and limited involvement of local resources and companies. This minimises potential economic benefits for the countries involved and hinders technology transfer and local capacity development. Chinese infrastructure projects are also often associated with negative social and environmental impacts, such as forced resettlement of communities, ecosystem degradation, and pollution. To overcome these contradictions, recommendations have been developed to introduce mechanisms for transparency, accountability, active involvement of local companies and ensuring a fair distribution of economic benefits among all stakeholders. The practical significance of the study lies in the development of recommendations for optimising Chinese infrastructure megaprojects, given the interests of the participating countries, which can be used to improve cooperation strategies with China and ensure the sustainability, mutual benefit and inclusiveness of these initiatives

Chinese infrastructure as spatial fix? A political ecology of development finance and irrigation in Cambodia

China has recently become an agent of intensified agricultural production in Southeast Asia by constructing large‐scale irrigation systems. Funded with Chinese development finance, such infrastructure projects have been interpreted as a ‘spatial fix’ for capital accumulation in China, which helps explain the shifting balance of power within the region's political economy. However, we argue that explaining the local outcomes of these projects requires mapping out Chinese development finance in relation to the multi‐scalar network of actors, circuits of capital, and struggles over water that produce irrigated landscapes. We draw on our joint research about the Chinese‐funded and built Kanghot Irrigation Development Project in Cambodia. We explain how the construction of Kanghot was shaped by the historical and political relations between China and Cambodia. Since completion in 2016, Kanghot irrigation has transformed agricultural production by enrolling farmers into a network of volatile commodity markets and harmful pest ecologies. There have also been ongoing community struggles over Kanghot's water due to the project's design and institutional management. By broadening the idea of infrastructure as spatial fix to include these material and social processes of agrarian landscape production, this paper advances a political ecology of Chinese development finance in Southeast Asia.

How far is Chinese infrastructure investment in Europe a success story?

How far is Chinese infrastructure investment in Europe a success story? REDEFINE will examine what China’s rise means for how we understand global development and, specifically, Europe’s place in it. REDEFINE aims to use the insights from international development to interrogate Chinese engagement in the heart of Europe and, by doing so, reorient the Eurocentric debates in the social sciences around how we define and delimit development, who drives these processes and what it means for societies and communities affected by such investments.

The development of roadside green swales in the Chinese Sponge City Program: Challenges and opportunities

Roadside green swales have emerged as popular stormwater management infrastructure in urban areas, serving to mitigate stormwater pollution and reduce urban surface water discharge. However, there is a limited understanding of the various types, structures, and functions of swales, as well as the potential challenges they may face in the future. In recent years, China has witnessed a surge in the adoption of roadside green swales, especially as part of the prestigious Sponge City Program (SCP). These green swales play a crucial role in controlling stormwater pollution and conserving urban water resources by effectively removing runoff pollutants, including suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This review critically examines recent research findings, identifies key knowledge gaps, and presents future recommendations for designing green swales for effective stormwater management, with a particular emphasis on ongoing major Chinese infrastructure projects. Despite the growing global interest in bioswales and their significance in urban development, China’s current classification of such features lacks a clear definition or specific consideration of bioswales. Furthermore, policymakers have often underestimated the adverse environmental effects of road networks, as reflected in existing laws and planning documents. This review argues that the construction and maintenance of roadside green swales should be primarily based on three critical factors: Wellthought- out road planning, suitable construction conditions, and sustainable long-term funding. The integration of quantitative environmental standards into road planning is essential to effectively address the challenge of pollution from rainfall runoff. To combat pollution associated with roads, a comprehensive assessment of potential pollution loadings should be carried out, guiding the appropriate design and construction of green swales, with a particular focus on addressing the phenomenon of first flush. One of the major challenges faced in sustaining funds for ongoing maintenance after swale construction. To address this issue, the implementation of a green finance platform is proposed. Such a platform would help ensure the availability of funds for continuous maintenance, thus maximizing the long-term effectiveness of green swales in stormwater management. Ultimately, the findings of this review aim to assist municipal governments in enhancing and implementing future urban road designs and SCP developments, incorporating effective green swale strategies.

Problems and Prospects of Chinese Infrastructure Construction and Investment Activity in Latin America

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of economic relations between China and Latin American countries at the present stage. The characteristic features of trade relations and the implementation of joint infrastructure projects were revealed. There were outlined China’s interests in cooperation with Latin America. Latin American countries are trying to maneuver between the United States and China, often choosing China as a more profitable partner. China is striving to build a new system of international economic relations in Latin America and the whole world, the important directions of which will be the creation of conditions for the stable development of Chinese economy.

That Ship Has Sailed: China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the Marcos Administration

What are the prospects for the Belt and Road (BRI) in the Philippines? How will Marcos’ foreign policy impact BRI projects in the country? The authors argue that the BRI’s prospects are less optimistic now because (i) the Philippines’ experience with Chinese infrastructure projects during Duterte’s time was not overwhelmingly positive and (ii) China continues to occupy the West Philippine Sea. China’s BRI missed its chance of capitalising on the political climate during the Duterte administration.

Socio-environmental conflicts and land governance: a study of Chinese infrastructure investments in Argentina

This article establishes a dialogue between the neo-Gramscian approach and Latin American Political Ecology by analyzing land governance – specifically attempts at land grabbing through Chinese infrastructure investments in Argentina. Building bridges between these two perspectives enables an application of Robert Cox’s framework to the study of socio-environmental conflicts inherent to land governance. The study of two land grabbing initiatives in Argentina, one that was suspended and one that continues with modifications, shows that social resistance can condition attempts at land control through investments and their execution. Consequently, the dialogue between these two theoretical perspectives not only revitalizes Cox’s thought but also highlights socio-environmental conflicts in environmental and nature governance processes as a new research direction for IPE.

Infrastructural Thinking in China: A Research Agenda

AbstractDespite China's leading role in the construction of infrastructure over the past decades, the most influential paradigms for the study of infrastructure in the social sciences originate from research conducted elsewhere. This introduction to the special section “Chinese Infrastructure: Techno-politics, Materialities, Legacies” seeks to address this apparent gap, and contributes to building an innovative research agenda for an infrastructural approach in the China studies field. To do so, it pushes forward an understanding of infrastructure as both an empirically rich material object of research and an analytical strategy for framing research questions. We draw from two strands of inquiry: recent efforts to rethink the materiality of infrastructures not as an inert or stable basis upon which more dynamic social processes emerge, but rather as unstable assemblages of human and non-human agencies; and scholarship that explores the often hidden (techno-)political dimensions of infrastructures, through which certain intended and unintended outcomes emerge less from the realms of policy and implementation and more from the material dispositions and effects of infrastructural formations. These strands of inquiry are brought together as part of our effort to recognize that the infrastructural basis of China's approach to development and statecraft deserves a more concerted theorizing of infrastructure than we have seen thus far.

Strategies for managing the political risk of investing in infrastructure projects, in developing countries

PurposePolitical risk has been identified as a major impediment to the success of foreign invested projects, in developing countries. Infrastructure projects are especially sensitive to host-country political climates. Governance in emerging economies can be unstable, which adversely impacts infrastructure projects, given their high capital-intensity, long operational periods and high asset specificity. While the detrimental impact of political risk is well documented, the mitigation of such impacts on infrastructure projects remains largely unexamined. This study, therefore, addresses this by exploring the available identified political risk management (PRM) strategies based on resilience theory and evaluating their effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach was employed to identify PRM strategies. Firstly, a comprehensive literature review identified 40 potential PRM strategies. However, the applicability of those 40 strategies was uncertain due to the scarcity of PRM studies. Thus, expert interviews, drawing on the insights of Chinese infrastructure industry professionals with experience in FII, were applied to review the identified strategies. This process reduced the pool of applicable strategies to 34. Subsequently, 356 questionnaires were sent out to investors from China, Australia and Singapore, with 218 valid responses returned. Based on the data collected from the surveys, statistical analysis was used to evaluate and classify applicable PRM strategies.FindingsResults reveal the most effective top five strategies for offsetting the detrimental effects of political risk on foreign infrastructure investment to be: (1) selection of suitable markets and projects; (2) maintaining good relationship with government; (3) purchasing political insurance; (4) utilizing capable contractors from both host country and home country; and (5) adopting an appropriate entry mode. The 34 strategies were further consolidated into four meta-strategies through factor analysis, resulting in the formulation of a strategy selection matrix.Originality/valueThe findings of this study offer a rational means by which infrastructure investment practitioners considering projects in developing countries, may arrive at an optimal political risk mitigation strategy. The findings also offer government of host countries directives to improving the political environment in order to attract foreign investment flows into local infrastructure projects.

Beyond the BRI: the volumetric presence of China in Nepal

ABSTRACT This paper conceptualizes ‘presence’ to analyse the volumetric growth of Chinese investment and development in Nepal from 2014 to 2021 in material, territorial and discursive terms. From physical experiences with earthquake disaster to the symbolic potency of Chinese infrastructure, this paper offers presence as a heuristic to evaluate China’s rising prominence in Nepal and multidirectional projections of geopolitical power. The analysis is framed by three key periods: material interactions in 2014–15, including significant increases at scale of Chinese foreign direct investment and Nepal’s invitation and acceptance of Chinese humanitarian aid in pre- and post-disaster contexts; territorial transformations in 2016–19, indexed by diplomatic negotiations and bilateral security commitments over Tibetan and Himalayan populations codified in policy agreements on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) programme in Nepal; and new discursive depths reached in 2020–21, demonstrated by the paradox that while very little BRI development work has been accomplished to date, China’s growing presence in Nepal is routinely articulated through the BRI. Arguing that volumetric sovereignty over subjects and spaces operates materially, territorially and discursively, I transect a multitude of Himalayan spaces to contribute to more critical understandings of Global China and move the analytical bar not only across Nepal but also, more importantly, well beyond the BRI.

Political power shift in host markets and firm asset retrenchment: Evidence from Chinese MNCs

In this study, we examine how a shift in political power in host markets impacts the asset retrenchment decision of multinational firms. Drawing on the insights of resource-based, institutional and information asymmetry perspectives, we argue that political power transition increases the firm’s likelihood of asset retrenchment. Using Cox proportional hazard model on the sample of Chinese infrastructure industry firms, operating in 26 countries, we find a positive relationship between the shift in political power in the host market and firm’s likelihood of asset retrenchment. This relationship is found to be weaker when firms have prior experience operating in an institutionally similar environment, and the host country has higher economic dependence on the home country. We further examine the ‘policy uncertainty’ and ‘obsolescence of relational capital’ as possible channels through which a shift in political power may lead firms to retrench. We find support for the effectiveness of both channels.

The Financial Performance of Newly Launched Chinese Infrastructure REITs

This paper explores the financial performance of the first group of nine infrastructure real estate investment trusts (REITs) that went public in mainland China in June 2021. Under the short-term event study framework, this research compares the abnormal returns and correlations of nine Chinese REITs with three groups of competitors (i.e., 49 quasi-REITs, 54 infrastructure asset-backed securities (ABSs), and 132 Wind utility firms). Three approaches are used to evaluate the performance of REITs: Risk-return indicators (e.g., Sharpe ratios and Jensen’s alphas) and raw returns measure the preliminary results, and panel data analyses capture the relative advantages of REITs over their competitors within the infrastructure industry. REITs are small-cap firms with the largest Sharpe ratios and greater diversification potential than the ABSs. Despite beating the market, they did not start to trade with a premium until the first month after their initial public offerings (IPOs). Post-event annualized abnormal returns are more than 15% against the ABSs and close to zero against Wind utility firms after controlling for key financial variables, and three mechanisms behind the REIT IPOs (i.e., asset type, taxation, and liquidity) are verified. Therefore, REITs outperform quasi-REITs and infrastructure ABSs as well as the market proxies, and their launch brought out favorable outcomes.

Is Europe going cold on Chinese infrastructure investment?

Is Europe going cold on Chinese infrastructure investment? REDEFINE will examine what China’s rise means for how we understand global development and, specifically, Europe’s place in it. REDEFINE aims to use the insights from international development to interrogate Chinese engagement in the heart of Europe and, by doing so, reorient the Eurocentric debates in the social sciences around how we define and delimit development, who drives these processes and what it means for societies and communities affected by such investments.

Improvised Hybridity in the “Fixing” of Chinese Infrastructure Capital: The Case of Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway

AbstractThe article explores the role of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in the globalisation of China's infrastructure capital. Examining how accumulation strategies of Chinese SOEs are driven by a complex set of political and economic, state and private, interests, it foregrounds the inherently hybrid nature of China's state capitalism. We use Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as a case study to analyse how state infrastructure capital traverses borders, and the specific ways that contradictions of accumulation in China are relocated through the improvised hybridity of SOEs. In Kenya, China Road and Bridge Corporation, the main SGR contractor, shifted and adapted its strategies as the pursuit of economic productivity gave way to political priorities in China, simultaneously responding to changing socio‐political circumstances in Kenya and across East Africa. Analysing these dynamics, we highlight the contingencies of, and limitations to, structural reorganisation of actually existing forms of state capitalism in China and beyond.