China's Silk Road Project - the contemporary nature of power and relations

Credit: BBC

China's massive infrastructure project to revive the Silk Road, also called the Belt and Road initiative,  has changed the nature of contemporary politics, exemplifying how diplomacy or 'soft power' is winning over military might or 'hard power' in our interconnected global political world.

It is of no surprise that China is a growing power, and this New Silk Road will increase its influence in countries all over Central Asia, Africa and even Europe. It would be hard to predict what the potential impact could be on concerning countries, but this case study grants a further and more valuable insight into how the nature of power and dependency is changing, with China as a focal point of this change.

The History 

Historically, the Silk Road has been a key trade route between the Western and Eastern world, leading to the development and trade of useful commodities such as silk and gold. China has used this useful interdependence and development as motivation for their Belt and Road initiative. Since 2013, the state has already invested upwards of $900 Billion in building infrastructure and loaning money to developing nations to facilitate the implementation of this initiative.

The new move has been concerning to some nations, and welcoming to others. Nations such as Pakistan have welcomed the move, claiming that the initiative will 'improve relations' and facilitate 'trade of essential goods'. However, China has also faced heavy opposition from Western countries such as the USA, claiming that the country hopes to 'arm itself into a superpower'. Moreover, there is also the concern of debt to China, that could yield questionable impacts such as what was seen between China and Sri Lanka.

This case study therefore highlights the power struggle between the West and the East, and how the struggle is progressing from a military or 'hard power' fight to an economic one - with developing countries as pawns.

The Opinions

Supporters - Supporters of the Belt and Road Initiative claim that this move will improve connectedness and relations between countries, and promote collaboration between countries in different continents. Therefore, the effects will be mutualistic. 

Critics - Critics of this initiative state that this move is a part of a much larger one that will grant China larger influence and control over developing nations. Developing nations have slowly aligned the foreign policy to benefit China, such as actively supporting Chinese-created resolutions in the UN. They fear China may slowly dominate Eastern politics with this initiative. 

The Answer

It is hard to answer such a question, because power is a very conceptual topic and it is not at all concentrated in politics. However, what this case study reveals is that economic and influence is often more powerful and impactful than military power.

China is a growing superpower, but not in the conventional historic sense - it does not boast the best military nor economy, but has used its strategic position to expand its influence over developing regions. Soft power, negotiation and subtlest forms of influence is winning and far more potent in contemporary politics, and we can see this paradigm shift in conflicts around the world, as states adapt to using soft power than hard power.