The Belt And Road Initiative And China’s Approach To The International Order

This thesis investigates the motivations behind the Belt and Road Initiative of the People’s Republic of China.In the first chapter the concept of International Order is defined:the ways of its creation and transformation are introduced,proceeding with the analysis of its dimensions—institutional,normative and of power—and how China can reshape these components.In addition,in order to examine the key drivers of the BRI,the main political and economic challenges that China has had to face after four decades of extraordinary economic growth are presented:growth and development,opening up and integration of China within the International System,as well as its globalization process,focusing on the Beijing Consensus,also known as the Chinese model,as an alternative to the policies of the Washington Consensus.The second chapter presents an overview of the institutions and infrastructure created to promote,finance and implement the Belt and Road Initiative,as well as its crucial developments from 2013 to the present day.In the third chapter,it is discussed how the BRI fits into China’s medium and long-term strategy to reshape the International Order—as is commonly and widely suggested in the literature—and how China’s foreign policy has become more assertive after the 2008 financial crisis and,in particular,following the accession to power of Xi Jinping.Furthermore,particular attention is paid to the regulatory component of the BRI.