Abstract:

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), unveiled in 2013, comprises two complementary pillars: the “Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB)” and the “Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI)”. Together, these initiatives seek to reshape regional and global patterns of connectivity through the creation of extensive transport and supply chains, including ports, rail corridors, highways, and energy pipelines. Beyond physical infrastructure, the initiative also promotes institutional connectivity through trade facilitation, investment frameworks, and broader economic cooperation mechanisms. This article examines the geopolitical significance of the Maritime Silk Road by situating it within the broader evolution of China's external economic strategy. It argues that the MSRI extends beyond infrastructure development, functioning as an instrument of geoeconomic statecraft that integrates commercial interests with strategic objectives. The initiative encompasses multiple stakeholders—including national governments, Chinese state-owned enterprises, private corporations, and subnational authorities—whose interactions operate across local, regional, and global scales.

Keywords:

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), unveiled in 2013, comprises two complementary pillars: the “Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB)” and the “Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI)”. Together, these initiatives seek to reshape regional and global patterns of connectivity through the creation of extensive transport and supply chains, including ports, rail corridors, highways, and energy pipelines. Beyond physical infrastructure, the initiative also promotes institutional connectivity through trade facilitation, investment frameworks, and broader economic cooperation mechanisms. This article examines the geopolitical significance of the Maritime Silk Road by situating it within the broader evolution of China's external economic strategy. It argues that the MSRI extends beyond infrastructure development, functioning as an instrument of geoeconomic statecraft that integrates commercial interests with strategic objectives. The initiative encompasses multiple stakeholders—including national governments, Chinese state-owned enterprises, private corporations, and subnational authorities—whose interactions operate across local, regional, and global scales.

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