AN ANALYSIS OF THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE—SECURITY VERSUS ECONOMICS

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dc.contributor.advisorGlosny, Michael A.
dc.contributor.authorWhitman, Jamie N.
dc.contributor.departmentNational Security Affairs (NSA)
dc.contributor.secondreaderKhan, Feroz H.
dc.date.accessioned2018-10-26T19:20:51Z
dc.date.available2018-10-26T19:20:51Z
dc.date.issued2018-09
dc.description.abstractChina portrays the Belt and Road Initiative—an interconnected network of rail lines, oil and gas pipelines, roads, bridges, and port facilities designed to connect China with Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe—as an effort aimed at regional economic integration with win-win outcomes for every country involved. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, consisting of rail lines, fiber optic cables, power plants, and the Gwadar Port facility. CPEC provides the most tangible infrastructure projects to evaluate. Critics argue that it is a Chinese neocolonial effort to exert Chinese influence and increase Chinese power globally, burdening poor and developing countries with dangerous amounts of debt. Chinese internal and external security concerns, such as violence in Xinjiang and the perceived “Malacca Dilemma,” are also discussed as important drivers for the Belt and Road Initiative and CPEC. This thesis examines both economic and security arguments to address the question: What is the primary driver for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor? The research shows that security is the primary driver for these projects. Economic considerations and benefits are also important to Chinese leaders, but security considerations trump economic ones.en_US
dc.description.distributionstatementApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
dc.description.serviceLieutenant Commander, United States Navyen_US
dc.description.urihttp://archive.org/details/ananalysisofthep1094560362
dc.identifier.thesisid30350
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10945/60362
dc.publisherMonterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
dc.rightsThis publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.en_US
dc.subject.authorBRIen_US
dc.subject.authorBelt and Roaden_US
dc.subject.authorOne Belt One Roaden_US
dc.subject.authorBelt and Road Initiativeen_US
dc.subject.authorMaritime Silk Roaden_US
dc.subject.authorString of Pearlsen_US
dc.subject.authorOBORen_US
dc.subject.authorCPECen_US
dc.subject.authorChinaen_US
dc.subject.authorPakistanen_US
dc.subject.authorChina Pakistan Economic Corridoren_US
dc.titleAN ANALYSIS OF THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR CHINA’S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE—SECURITY VERSUS ECONOMICSen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
etd.thesisdegree.disciplineSecurity Studies (Far East, Southeast Asia, the Pacific)en_US
etd.thesisdegree.grantorNaval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
etd.thesisdegree.levelMastersen_US
etd.thesisdegree.nameMaster of Arts in Security Studies (Far East, Southeast Asia, the Pacific)en_US
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