What is it about?
This work explores how China’s central government, led by Xi Jinping, manages relationships with local (provincial) governments under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI, introduced in 2013, is China's ambitious project to improve global trade links, but it also has important implications within China.
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Why is it important?
China's provinces are diverse, with different economic strengths and local needs. Coordinating all provinces under the central BRI framework helps the central government maintain unity, but it also reveals tensions. Managing these relationships is essential to avoid regional inequalities or conflicts, which could destabilize China domestically. By looking at how BRI projects are managed at the local level, we gain insights into the challenges of implementing large-scale policies in a vast and complex country like China. The ongoing competition between provinces highlights the difficulties of aligning local and national interests in an authoritarian system.
Perspectives
This topic can be examined from several perspectives, each highlighting different facets of China’s approach to governance, development, and international relations under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). From the perspective of the paper the BRI is part of domestic governance. For provincial governments, the BRI is both an opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, it offers access to national funding, infrastructure projects, and greater visibility. However, it also restricts provincial autonomy, as local governments must align their initiatives with central directives, sometimes sacrificing local interests. Provinces are often placed in competition with one another for resources, which can create friction between local and central goals, particularly in regions with distinct economic identities or needs.
Dominik Mierzejewski
Lodz University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Belt and Road Initiative, Centralisation of Local Interests and Centre-province Relations, October 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004691087_009.
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