Spirit of the Silk Road : Chinese Trade and Investment Throughout the Eurasian Corridor

This book is a systematic analysis of the trade interconnectivity, logistics, urbanization, and economic development among countries along the Silk Road. The prospects for cooperation amongst countries on the Silk Road are clarified in a book which will interest scholars of geopolitics, of economic growth, and of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Preface Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Framework of the SREB Initiative 1 Background of the Initiative 1.1 Profound Influence of the Ancient Silk Road 1.2 Fierce Competition in “Silk Road Strategies” Among Major Countries 1.3 Closer Cooperation Between Asian and European Countries 2 Definition and Significance 2.1 Connotation of the SREB Initiative 2.2 Spatial Scope 3 Theoretical and Practical Basis 3.1 Theoretical Basis 3.1.1 Primary Level 3.1.2 Intermediate Level: Taking Regional Economic Integration and Economic Globalization as the Main Platform 3.1.3 Advanced Level: Taking Cooperation in Global Economic Integration as the Main Platform 3.2 Practical Basis 3.2.1 Having a Certain Foundation for Organizational Cooperation 3.2.2 Having a Certain Basis for Industrial Cooperation 3.2.3 Having a Certain Basis for Infrastructure Construction 4 Key Tasks and Support System 4.1 Key Tasks 4.1.1 Construction of Central Cities 4.1.2 Industrial Division of Labor and Cooperation 4.1.3 Trade and Investment Facilitation 4.2 Support System 4.2.1 Infrastructure Connectivity Construction 4.2.2 Coordinated Development Strategies 4.2.3 Construction of Cooperation Mechanism 4.2.4 Risk Identification and Prevention 5 Construction Steps 5.1 Initial Stage: China–Central Asia–Russia Economic Integration (2015–2025) 5.2 Expansion Stage: Basic Framework of Eurasian Economic Integration (2025–2045) 5.3 Improvement Stage: Strategic Platform for Global Economic Integration (2045–2065) 6 Great Significance of SREB Chapter 2: Connectivity Construction 1 Contents of Connectivity Construction and Their Relationship 2 Research on SREB Infrastructure Construction 2.1 Contents and Significance of SREB Infrastructure Construction 2.1.1 Contents of SREB Infrastructure Construction 2.1.2 Significance of SREB Infrastructure Construction 2.2 Analysis of the Status Quo of Infrastructure Along the Route 2.2.1 Status Quo of Transportation Facilities of Countries in SREB Core Area 2.2.2 Construction of Main Transportation Routes in the SREB 2.2.3 Status Quo and Problems of Railway Connectivity Construction in the SREB 2.2.4 Status Quo and Problems of Highway Connectivity Construction in the SREB 2.2.5 Status Quo and Problems of Air Connectivity Construction in the SREB 2.2.6 Status Quo and Problems of Telecommunication Connectivity Construction in SREB 2.2.7 Status Quo and Problems of Oil and Gas Pipeline Connectivity Construction in the SREB 2.2.8 Status Quo and Problems of Power Grid Connectivity Construction of the SREB 2.3 Research on Implementation Plan of Infrastructure Construction of the SREB 2.3.1 Priority Should be Given to Capital Raising for Infrastructure Construction 2.3.2 Second Eurasian Continental Bridge International Cargo Intermodal Transport Company Should Be Organized 2.3.3 Construction of Key Projects Should Be Sped Up 2.3.4 Infrastructure Design Standards Should Be Unified and Facility Technology Should Be Improved 3 Study on Institutional Connectivity of the SREB 3.1 Railway Transportation 3.1.1 Status Quo of Railway Transportation 3.1.2 Problems 3.1.3 Solutions 3.2 Trade and Investment 3.2.1 Status Quo of Trade and Investment 3.2.2 Problems 3.2.3 Solutions 3.3 Technological Exchanges and Cooperation 3.3.1 Status Quo of Technological Exchanges and Cooperation 3.3.2 Problems 3.3.3 Solutions 3.4 People-to-People Exchanges 3.4.1 Status Quo of People-to-People Exchanges 3.4.2 Problems 3.4.3 Solutions 4 Research on Personnel Connectivity in the SREB 4.1 Status Quo of Personnel Connectivity 4.2 Problems in Personnel Exchanges 4.3 Measures to Promote Personnel Exchanges Bibliography Chapter 3: Trade and Investment Facilitation 1 Definition and Theoretical Basis of Trade and Investment Facilitation 1.1 Definition of Trade and Investment Facilitation 1.1.1 Literature Review 1.1.2 Trade Facilitation 1.1.3 Investment Facilitation 1.2 Development of Trade and Investment Facilitation 1.2.1 More Efficient Trade and Investment Approval Procedures 1.2.2 Trade and Investment Informatization 1.2.3 Coexistence of Trade and Investment Facilitation and Trade Barriers 1.2.4 Implementation of Trade and Investment Facilitation Action Plan 1.3 Theoretical Basis of Trade and Investment Facilitation 1.3.1 Theory of Regional Economic Cooperation 1.3.2 Theory of Customs Union 1.3.3 Theories of Free Trade Area 1.3.4 Theories of Interregional Division of Labor 1.4 Significance of Trade and Investment Facilitation 2 Status Quo of Trade and Trade Facilitation of the SREB 2.1 Status Quo of Trade 2.1.1 Status Quo of Trade of Countries 2.1.2 Major Trading Partners 2.1.3 Favorable Conditions Brought by Geographical Proximity 2.1.4 Economic Complementarity 2.1.5 Problems Restricting Trade Development 2.2 A Comparison of Trade Facilitation 3 Status Quo of Investment and Investment Facilitation of the SREB 3.1 Status Quo of Investment 3.2 Comparison of Investment Facilitation 3.2.1 Market Environment and Efficiency 3.2.2 Legal and Administrative Environment 3.2.3 Innovation Environment 3.2.4 Environment of Financial Market 3.2.5 Labor Market Environment 3.2.6 Macroeconomic Environment 4 Development Goals and Measures of Trade and Investment Facilitation in the SREB 4.1 Development Objectives 4.2 Measures of Trade and Investment Facilitation in the SREB 4.2.1 Measures of Trade Facilitation 4.2.2 Measures to Promote Investment Facilitation Bibliography Chapter 4: Industrial Cooperation and Upgrading 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review 2.1 Theories on Industrial Upgrading 2.1.1 Industrial Upgrading and Industrial Structure Upgrading 2.1.2 Global Value Chain (GVC) Theory 2.2 Industrial Upgrading in the SREB 3 Investigations into Industrial Cooperation in the SREB 3.1 Industrial Development of Key Countries Along the Route 3.1.1 Industrial Development of Five Central Asian Countries 3.1.2 Overview of Russian Industrial Development 3.2 Characteristics of Industrial Cooperation Between China and Key Countries Along the Route 3.2.1 Column 1: Complementarity of Industrial Development Between China and the Five Central Asian Countries 3.3 Problems in Industrial Development of Key Countries Along the Route 4 Path of Coordinated Industrial Upgrading of the SREB 4.1 Conditions for Construction of Industrial Value Chain in the Core Area of the SREB 4.2 On the Construction of Industrial Value Chain in the Core Area of the SREB 5 Support Measures for Coordinated Upgrading of Industries in the SREB Bibliography Chapter 5: Construction and Upgrading of Urbanization in Western China 1 Significance of SREB in Western Region Urbanization 2 Problems of Western Region Urbanization 2.1 Weak Modern Industry Development 2.2 Insufficient Coordination of Space Structure 2.3 Insufficient Supply of Public Services 2.4 Increased Pressure on Ecological Environment 3 Paths of Urbanization Upgrading in the Western Region 3.1 Consolidate the Foundation of Industrial Development 3.2 Promote Coordination of Space Structures 3.3 Strengthen Supply of Public Services 3.4 Maintain a Beautiful Ecological Environment Chapter 6: Regionalization and Internationalization of Currency 1 Literature Review and Theoretical Basis 1.1 Regionalization and Internationalization of Currency 1.2 Theoretical Basis of Regional Monetary Cooperation 2 Background Analysis of Developing Regional Monetary Cooperation in the SREB 2.1 Economic Benefit Analysis of Promoting Regional Monetary Cooperation in the SREB 2.2 Practical Need for Developing Regional Monetary Cooperation in the SREB 2.3 Mature Basic Conditions for Renminbi Regionalization in the SREB 3 Practical Dilemma of Renminbi Regionalization in the SREB 4 Pathways of Implementing Renminbi Regionalization in the SREB Bibliography Chapter 7: Guarantee Mechanism for the SREB 1 Major Difficulties in Building the SREB 1.1 Obstacles to Energy Cooperation 1.1.1 Complicated Geopolitics 1.1.2 Weak Economic Strength 1.1.3 Energy Cooperation Problems 1.2 Obstacles to Infrastructure Construction Cooperation 1.2.1 Transportation Network 1.2.2 Communication Facilities 1.3 Obstacles to Financial Cooperation 1.3.1 Influence of Geopolitics and Political Situation 1.3.2 Competitive Exclusion Effect of Existing Economic Cooperation Organizations 1.3.3 Sharp Gap of Economic Development 1.3.4 Influence of Financial Environment 1.3.5 Obstacles to Overseas Use of Renminbi 1.4 Obstacles to Ecological and Environmental Cooperation 1.4.1 Level of Cooperation 1.4.2 Regional Conflicts of Economic Cooperation and Ecological Development 1.4.3 Political Constraints Brought by Major Countries’ Competition 1.5 Obstacles to Cultural, Technological and Scientific Cooperation 1.5.1 Obstacles to Cultural Cooperation 1.5.2 Obstacles to Technological and Scientific Cooperation 2 Guarantee Mechanisms for the SREB 2.1 Intergovernmental Coordination and Guarantee Mechanism 2.1.1 Strengthen Political Trust and Cooperation 2.1.2 Build an International Communication and Coordination Mechanism 2.1.3 Improve Coordination of Policies and Regulations 2.2 Financial Guarantee Mechanism 2.2.1 Build a Financial Guarantee Mechanism 2.2.2 Build Regional Financial Centers 2.2.3 Build Local Currency Settlement System for Trade 2.3 Industrial Cooperation Guarantee Mechanism 2.3.1 Establish Industrial Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism 2.3.2 Establish an Information Resource-Sharing Platform 2.3.3 Establish a Regional Talent Market Service Mechanism 2.4 Guarantee Mechanism for Infrastructure Construction 2.4.1 Establish Government Coordination Mechanism for Infrastructure Construction 2.4.2 Establish a Joint Committee Mechanism for Infrastructure Construction 2.5 Guarantee Mechanism for Trade and Investment Cooperation 2.5.1 Policy Coordination Between Countries 2.5.2 Construction of a Cooperative Environment 2.6 Guarantee Mechanism for Energy Cooperation 2.6.1 Building a Regional Energy Cooperation Mechanism 2.6.2 Exploring New Ways of Energy Cooperation 2.7 Science and Education Cooperation Guarantee Mechanism 2.7.1 Government-Led Cooperation Mechanism 2.7.2 Non-governmental Cooperation Mechanism 2.8 Ecological Environment Guarantee Mechanism 2.8.1 Establishment of More International Cooperation in Ecological Protection 2.8.2 Establishment of an Ecological Environment Compensation Mechanism 2.8.3 Establishment of the Concept of Ecological Protection Appendix: Big Events September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 Epilogue Bibliography