Economic corridors in Asia: Paradigm of Integration?

Global geopolitics has shifted dramatically over the last thirty years. After the vanishing expectations of a unipolar international system led by the United States, China has gained an increasingly dominant role in areas as innovative as quantum computing, robotics and artificial intelligence. In the 'non-digital' dimension, the eastern superpower has made gigantic investments in its Belt and Road Initiative, which include the development of a massive network of highways, industrial centers, harbors, pipelines and bridges, among many other works of infrastructure. These investments allow for the connection of more than 60 countries worldwide, guaranteeing China' s energetic security, easier conditions for trading goods and services and, perhaps more importantly, a significant influence in the political and economic events of the world. States with political regimes as diverse as those of Russia and India are part of this growing network; in various cases, in exchange for the benefits associated wi th being part of it, major concessions were made. By way of illustration, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, among others, given their lack of capacity to pay for sorne of the works, have agreed to forfeit control of specific areas of their territories. 

CONTENIDO

FOREWORD       13

INTRODUCTION               17 

Saraya Caro Vargas

1.       The History of a Multicultural Academic Endeavour        17

2.       The Search for Security vs. Growing Uncertainty               18

                2.1. Methodology and Techniques          19

3.       Theoretical Markers       20

4.       Bibliographic antecedents in the Region and the Relevance of this Initiative        24

5.       Globalizing Precursors and the Resurgence of the Economic Corridor as a Term and Consequence of BRI                28

6.       On the Authors and their Vision of Corridors and BRI      32

Conclusion         40

References        41

1. LA NUEVA RUTA DE LA SEDA: CONTEXTO HISTÓRICO Y ASPECTOS GEOPOLíTICOS DE LA ESTRATEGIA GLOBAL DE CHIKA                   45

Alexánder Arciniegas Carreña

Resumen            45

Abstract               45 

Introducción      46

1.       Los cambios en la inserción internacional china y la emergencia de Obor              48

2.       Los caminos de la Ru ta de la Seda: franja terrestre y ruta marítima; naturaleza, principios, ejes de actuación e institucionalidad              54

3.       Asia central: recursos e importancia estratégica para China 60

4.       Obor el dilema de India 64

5.       Algunas consideraciones conclusivas sobre la proyección internacional de China y su impacto en Latinoamérica y Colombia           69

Referencias       72

2. lNDIA'S ECONOMIC CORRIDORS AND SUB-REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS 79

Pankaj K Jha

Abstract              79

Resumen            80

Introduction      81

1.       Theoretical Discourse about Economic Corridors              83

2.       India's Economic Corridors and Highway Networks          85

3.       Developing Port Infrastructure 91

4.       River Interlinking Plan and Promotion of Inland waterways 94

5.       Connecting with Neighborhood and Sub-Regional networks 96

6.       Trilateral Highway Networks-Myanmar-India- Thailand 97

7.       Mekong India Economic Corridor (MIEC)              98

8.       Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor (IPEC)    99

9.       Transport Corridors -BBIN and BCIM initiative    100

10.   Structural Constraints and Bottlenecks 102

Conclusion         104

References        105

3. CHINESE CAPITAL FLOWS TO AFRICA IN A CONTEXT OF THE SILK ROAO             109

Alicia Girón

Abstract               109 

Resumen            110

Introduction      110

1.       Theoretical perspective               113

2.       Behavior of Financial Flows from Chinese Banks and Companies in Africa             116

1.       Constant Growth of the Process of Indebtedness since the Post-Crisis Period     122

2.       Concluding remarks: Challenges facing Africa in the face of financial flows           126

References        126

4. DEVELOPMENT CORRIDORS IN AFRICA: FOREIGN POLICY ANO REGIONAL INTEGRATION STRATEGIES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH 131

Jerónimo Delgado Caicedo

Juliana Andrea Guzmán Cárdenas

Abstract               131 

Resumen            132

Introduction      133

1.       Development corridors         138

1.1.    From transport corridor to economic corridor 138

1.2.    Development corridors and Africa         141

2.     Development Corridors as a Foreign Policy and Regional Integration Tool    146

2.1. Foreign Policy in the Global South           146 

2.2. African Regional Integration      150

3. Challenges     154

4. Conclusions   157

References        160

5. A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR. MAPPING PUBLIC DISCOURSE IN P AKISTAN: THE CASE STUDY OF THE INSTITUTE OF STRATEGIC STUDIES                169 

Ahmad Saffee

Abstract               169 

Resumen            169

Introduction      170

1.       Situational Analysis of Geo-political Environment     171

2.       Theoretical Framework        173

                2.1. Critical Discourse Analysis (COA)      173 

3.       Research Methodology        177

4.       Research Analysis - A Critical Thematic Analysis of Discourse              179

                4.1. The Communist Party of China          182

                4.2. Media and Think Tank Community 186

Conclusion         194

References        196

6. RESURGENCE OF SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION AND CHINA'S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE IN ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA            199 

Ume Farwa

Ghazanfar Ali Garewal

Abstract               199 

Resumen            200

Introduction      201

1.       Belt and Road as a Project of South-South Cooperation         204

2.       China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: China as a Locomotive and Pakistan as a Catalyst              207 

3.       The Good and the Best         211

4.       The Fix         215 

5.       Looking Forward: Lessons for Latin America and Impact on ssc 219

Conclusion         220

References        221

7. THE INFRASTRUCTURE GAP IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE ARRIVAL OF CHINESE INFRASTRUCTURE FIRM5: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE ARGENTINIAN CASE               225

Leonardo E. Stanley

Abstract               225 

Resumen            225

Introduction      226

1.       The nature of the firm (or Why Chinese firms are something special that should be considered)        230 

2.       The Belt and Road Initiative and Latin America Infrastructure Gap    236

3.       Industry Analysis (with a focus on the Argentinean case) 239 3.1. Argentina Infrastructure Gap (particular emphasis on roads)                242

3.2. The entry of Chinese firms and local business groups: competition or cooperation          244

3.3. Financial Schemes and Governance Issues          248

Conclusions        252

References        254

8. EL MERCOSUR EN LA BÚSQUEDA DE ASIA PACÍFICO   263

Gustavo Cardozo

Resumen            263

Abstract               263 

Introducción      264

1.       La Nueva Ruta de la Seda y su impacto en América Latina y el Caribe: perspectivas desde el Cono Sur             266

2.       El Mercosur en la búsqueda de Asia Pacífico               276

Conclusiones     282

Referencias        283

9. DEL FORTALECIMIENTO DE LAS FRONTERAS A LA CONECTIVIDAD: LECCIONES PARA EL SUR DE ASIA Y AMÉRICA DEL SUR        287

Kelly Arévalo

Resumen            287

Abstract               288 

Introducción      288

1.       Más allá de la geografía política        290

2.       Conectividad hoy: corredores económicos   294

3.       Conectividad en el Sur de Asia           296

4.       Conectividad en América del Sur      . 301

5.       Conclusiones             307 

Referencias        311

10. EL SUDESTE ASIÁTICO EN LAS NUEVAS RUTAS TRASCONTINENTALES ASEAN 315

Pío García

Resumen            315

Abstract               316 

Introducción      316

1.       Asean en el núcleo de la integración asiática              320

2.       Asean en los proyectos transcontinentales asiáticos                324

3.       Asean frente a los proyectos transcontinentales: impacto y perspectivas      330

4.       Asean, las rutas transasiáticas y América Latina y el Caribe   337

Conclusiones     342

Referencias        343

11. THE ROLE OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN REGION IN, CHINA'S NEW SILK ROAD ECONOMIC BELT PROJECT   349

Azhar Serikkaliyeva

Abstract               349 

Resumen            349

Introduction      350

1.       China's Interests in Central Asia        352

                1.1. The seo: Fighting three evils              354 

                1.2. Energy         357

1.3. China's Peaceful Co-development and Good Neighborly Policy          360 

2.       Situating Central Asia in BRI                361

                2.1. Why Central Asia is important for BR!?         364 

                2.2. Main BRI projects in Central Asia     365

                2.3. The New Eurasian Land Bridge          366

3.       Economic corridor China - Central Asia - Western Asia            367

                3.1. Response from Central Asia: case of Kazakhstan       371 

Conclusion         376

References        377

12. TURKEY AND THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE            383

Gokhan Tekir

Abstract               383 

Resumen            384

Introduction      384

1.       Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway             388

2.       Turkey's Domestic Railway Lines              389

3.       Marmaray and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge            391

4.       The Turkish Maritime Leg of the Belt and Road 394

5.       Turkey's Role in Civilizational Connectivity          395

6.       Challenges to Turkey's Participation in the Belt and Road Initiative          398

                6.1. Volatility in the Infrastructure Sector             398 

                6.2. The Xinjiang Problem            402

Conclusion         404

References        406

13. BELT & ROAD INTIATIVE Y SU SIGNIFICADO GEOPOLÍTICO PARA CHINA y ASIA CENTRAL         413

Diana Andrea Gómez

Resumen            413

Abstract               413 

Introducción      414

1.       Alcance del BRI                 417 

                1.1 La tecnología rebasa la geografía      419

2.       Importancia geopolítica de BRI 421

                2.1. BRI en perspectiva doméstica           421

                2.2. BRI en perspectiva regional: el rol de Asia central    423

3.       Grandes desafíos generados por BRI en perspectiva global 429

                3.1. El rol central de las ciudades              432 

Conclusiones y recomendaciones            435

Referencias        437

REFLEXIONES FIKALES E INVITACI6~ A LA ACADEMIA       443

Soraya Caro Vargas

Referencias        448

AUTHORS            451