China’s belt and road initiative in Eurasia: Space-shaping as ordering

Abstract

In 2013, China's President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a connectivity project across Eurasia. In this chapter, the authors build on the argument that the BRI is an expression of China's new role as a major power, arguing that it involves both the re-structuration of physical spaces across the Eurasian region and a form of international order-shaping. Focusing on the European Union's and China's interaction with the Balkan States, the authors show how China is shaping the political and economic space in a way that looks like a re-articulation of the liberal order. The authors conclude that-as the European and Chinese space and agenda overlap in many areas-the future dialogue between China and the EU requires a supplementary co-operation effort.