In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that he wanted to resurrect the legendary Silk Road; he proposed a titanic project to build hundreds of roads, bridges, and railroads to connect China and Europe. In China, the government also speaks of the 'Belt and Road initiative' (One Belt, One Road - abbreviated OBOR) to describe the project that will span more than 50 years. OBOR is President Xi Jinping's most important project and it marks a radical change in China's foreign policy as it constitutes a new economic model that also aims to strengthen China's position as an economic superpower. Despite its major impact on international trade and investment, OBOR does not belong to present-day categories of international pacts and treaties. For the first time in its modern history, China is attempting to export its development model, that is, China is relying on massive investment in infrastructure, roads, ports, and railways, at home and abroad, to accelerate industrial development throughout the region. At a time when the globalization of the economy is tilting the balance towards the East, OBOR will redistribute the maps of trade and investment to an extent which this Article assesses.

This 28-chapter volume brings together academics and practitioners to provide a comprehensive legal, economic and political analysis of the Belt and Road (BRI) initiative that has emerged since 2013 as a key feature of China’s international economic policy. It offers a fundamentally novel approach towards international trade, investment and global governance in an unsettled time of shifting geopolitics when many institutions developed in the West are being called into question. The book covers a broad range of BRI-related international economic law and policy issues, including trade facilitation and connectivity, economics and geopolitics of new trade routes, foreign direct investment law, bilateral investment treaties, free trade agreements, financing of infrastructure, development aid, international dispute resolution, and regional economic integration.

This book studies the geopolitical and geoeconomic aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It argues that the BRI has the potential to redesign the spatial and territorial dimensions of governance and effectively counterbalance the hitherto predominant hegemonies of the Anglo-American sea power. The volume: Highlights the main geopolitical patterns, including geographical, economic, financial, technological, and strategic factors guiding the BRI on a global scale Presents a historical account of the development of the Silk Road and underlines its contemporary relevance Traces China’s growing inf luence from Eurasia to America Discusses how the Initiative is likely to transform international relations by the middle of the 21st century. A comprehensive guide to China’s rise as the new centre of gravity in global geopolitics, the book will be indispensable for students of political studies, geopolitics, international relations, and foreign policy. It will also be useful for policymakers, strategic investors, think tanks, and government officials.

China faces significant hurdles in implementing its Belt and Road Initiative. Since its launch a decade ago, the BRI has become a crucial component of Chinese external economic relations. It has the potential to alter the economic and political landscape of Asia but also Europe. As such, the Belt and Road initiative have placed China at the heart of geopolitics in the Eurasian region but also globally. Therefore, China faces significant hurdles in implementing these initiatives, with many countries and organizations around the world becoming increasingly weary of China’s BRI and geopolitical strategy. This book examines these issues of the BRI and analyzes the impact of the BRI on Chinese involvement in Asia and Europe. It sheds light on the strategic responses of host country governments and regional economic organizations, as well as the reactions of Chinese and other multinational companies, and ultimately the Chinese government. This book will appeal to scholars, researchers and practitioners of International Business and Policy, particularly those interested in the BRI and China’s geo-economic influence. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

This multidisciplinary book delivers a unique collection of well-considered, empirically rich and critical contributions on maritime transport geographies. It covers a wide range of markets and territories as well as institutional, environmental and future issues.

Since China adopted its 'open door' policy in 1978, which altered its development strategy from self-sufficiency to active participation in the world market, its goal has remained unchanged: to assist the readjustment of China's economy, to coordinate its modernization programs, and to improve its quality of life. With the 1997 launch of the 'Going Global' policy, an outward focus regarding foreign investment was added, to circumvent trade barriers and improve the competitiveness of Chinese firms. In order to accommodate inward and outward investment, China's participation in the international investment regime has underpinned its efforts to join multilateral investment-related legal instruments and conclude international investment agreements. This collection, compiled by award-winning scholar Professor Julien Chaisse, explores the three distinct tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements including those with the US and the EU; regional agreements including the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific; and global initiatives, spear-headed by China's presidency of the G20 and its 'Belt and Road initiative'. The book's overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with each other, or whether they complement one another - a question of profound importance for the country's political and economic future and world investment governance.

This is the first book-length treatment of the advancement of EU global data flows and digital trade through the framework of European institutionalisation. Drawing on case studies of EU-US, EU-Japan and EU-China relations it charts the theoretical and empirical approaches at play. It illustrates how the EU has pioneered high standards in data flows and how it engages in significant digital trade reforms, committed to those standards. The book marks a major shift in how institutionalisation and the EU should be viewed as it relates to two of the more extraordinary areas of global governance: trade and data flows. This significant book will be of interest to EU constitutional lawyers, as well as those researching in the field of IT and data law.

The new edition of The Global Environment: Institutions, Law, and Policy by Regina S. Axelrod and Stacy D. VanDeveer reflects the latest events in the in global environmental politics and sustainable development, while providing balanced coverage of the key institutions, environmental issues, treaties, and policies. This award-winning book highlights global environmental institutions, major state and non-state actors, and includes a wide range of cases such as climate change, biodiversity, hazardous chemicals, ozone layer depletion, nuclear energy and resource consumption.

This handbook provides comprehensive and expert analysis of the impact of the Brexit process and the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on existing and future EU–UK relations within the context of both EU and international law. Examining the wider international law implications, it additionally assesses the complex legal consequences of Brexit for both the EU and the UK in their dealings with third states and other international organizations. With contributions from renowned specialists in the field of EU external action, each chapter will analyse specific policy areas to address key challenges arising from the Brexit process for the EU and the UK and propose solutions to overcome these problems. The handbook aims to fill a gap in research by assessing the consequences of Brexit under EU external relations law and international law. As such, it is hoped it will set the research agenda for coming years on the international dimension of Brexit. The Routledge Handbook on the International Dimension of Brexit is an authoritative and essential reference text for scholars and students of international and European/EU law and policy, EU politics, and British Politics and Brexit, as well as of key relevance to legal practitioners involved in Brexit, governments, policy-makers, civil society organizations, think tanks, practitioners, national parliaments and the Court of Justice.

Globally, isolationism and protectionism are on the rise, and resurgent authoritarian nations are reasserting the centrality of the sovereign state. And with China’s influence around the world intensifying, the dynamic interrelationship of the national and supranational in shaping norms of good governance has become increasingly relevant. Good Governance in Economic Development critically examines the ways in which transparency and accountability mechanisms are incorporated or reflected in international trade, finance, and investment regimes. It also explores the Chinese state’s engagement with these norms, shedding new light not only on how the principles of transparency, accountability, and public participation are applied within China, but also on the ability of China to affect international rules. Through close analysis of how norms are adapted locally, the contributors offer insights into the global and national implications of international good governance rules.