This paper intends to suggest three perspectives to explain the characteristics and purposes of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The three aspects of the BRI are in fact inseparable and deeply interlinked with each other. The paper aims at suggesting the three perspectives as useful viewpoints for future research to observe and analyze further progress of the BRI. First, the BRI is viewed as China’s economic strategy for facilitating continuous growth and preventing the Chinese economy from falling into a stagnant phase. The vast range of globally pursued projects of the BRI will serve as new growth engine for the Chinese economy. It will promote economic development of China’s inland areas and expand markets and investment outlets for the large Chinese state-owned enterprises. The construction of sea ports, pipelines and railroads will also contribute to securing supply lines of oil and natural gas, and reducing transportation costs. Secondly, the BRI is viewed as a critical international strategy with which Beijing is seeking a hegemonic power in Asia. By way of constructing infrastructures and specialized economic zones, China seems trying to connect Asian countries and incorporate their markets to China. Through the investment of infrastructures in Central Asia, China is tapping into affluent minerals and energy sources in this region and incorporating this region into Chinese economic influence. Also the maritime silk road is a counter-strategy to contain the US naval power in the Indian ocean. It is critically important to secure energy supply lines from Middle East to China crossing over the Indian Ocean. The maritime silk road is indispensable for the purpose of increasing the Chinese power in Asia and Africa in competition with the US. Thirdly, the BRI is regarded as China’s global hegemonic strategy to increase its global soft power and political influence. Many developing countries in Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe particularly, are eager to receive China’s investments and increase trade with China. The Chinese influence in these countries will increase as the Chinese investment continues to grow. China seems to pursue a global hegemonic power through the expansion of its economic might to developing countries in Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe etc. This argument is also supported by the fact that Beijing established the AIIB, which is considered as a competing counterpart to the existing international financial institutions, like World Bank and IMF. Finally, the positive aspect of the BRI in the realm of international political economy is that it is actually able to contributes to economic development of less-developed countries. China regards it as rebalancing of globalization. On the other hand, the worrisome side of the BRI is that not a few partners of the BRI are authoritarian or corrupt leaders in developing countries. And a debt-crisis may occur in a recipient country as a result of inefficient and unaffordable Chinese investments. Recent stories of Malaysia and Sri Lanka tell that lesson.
목차
Abstract 1. 서론: 문제의 제기 2. 지속적 경제발전을 위한 전략 3. 아시아에서의 패권 추구 전략 4. 글로벌 헤게모니 추구전략 4.1 중국판 마셜플랜? 4.2 세계화의 재균형: 중국식 경제 세계화 5. 평가와 전망 참고문헌
키워드
the Belt and Road Initiativethe New Silk Road strategyOverland silk roadMaritime silk roadInfrastructure investmentZheng HeChina-Pakistan Economic CorridorHegemonic powerAsian hegemony
저자
김진영 [ Kim, Jin-Young | 부산대학교 정치외교학과 ]
Corresponding Author
부산대학교 중국전략연구소(구 부산대학교 중국연구소) [Institute of China Strategy]
설립연도
2006
분야
사회과학>사회복지학
소개
본 연구소의 설립을 통해 우선 한중 양국 국민의 상호이해와 교류증진을 위한 인문, 사회과학적인 연구는 물론이고, 이를 통해 기업(인)이 중국에 안정적인 정착과 교류를 할 수 있는 각종 환경을 조성하고자 한다.
게다가 본 연구소는 기존의 연구소의 기능과는 달리 단순한 학술 교류에 머물지 않고 인적 교류를 통해 양국관계의 이해를 증진하고 나아가 한국과 중국의 각종 프로젝트를 적극 유치, 개발함으로써 지속적으로 재원의 창출을 도모하고자 한다.