Lexington Books The Belt and Road Initiative and the Future of Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is emerging as a vital lynch-pin in China's efforts to establish a maritime and continental zone of influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Future of Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific interrogates to what extent BRI represents an achievable vision of a China-centric order in Asia and explores its major security implications for the region. The contributions to this volume provide up-to-date analysis of the effect of BRI on the region's foreign policy and alliance patterns, its connection to geo-economics and domestic Chinese politics, and the policy responses of key Indo-Pacific actors. While acknowledging that BRI remains prey to a variety of internal and exogenous shocks, the contributors conclude that at the very least BRI will continue to disrupt the existing alignments of economic and strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific and that on this minimal basis BRI will likely be judged a success by China. For regional actors, however, the BRI simultaneously enhances choice while presenting strategic and economic risks of greater dependency on China - a dilemma intensified by the disruptive effects of the Trump administration on regional confidence in the longevity of American commitments and leadership. Review "This volume represents perhaps the latest and most comprehensive analysis of the implications of BRI for an changing Indo-Pacific--geopolitics and security, political economy, and more pertinently, the region's key players who are at once seeking to benefit from greater connectivity and growing prosperity through trade and investment, and guard against the potential risks of power transition and intensifying rivalry. It addresses the most critical question of whether, and to what extent, BRI is affecting the norms, structure, and processes of an emerging regional order in a post-America world.--Jingdong Yuan, University of Sydney In this study of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the contributors consider the extent to which the project could succeed in establishing a 'China-centric order' in Asia and what it means for regional security. The authors suggest that China is likely to be satisfied with the way the BRI is disrupting existing economics and strategic alignments in the Indo-Pacific.-- "Survival: Global Politics and Strategy" The Belt and Road Initiative and the Future of Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific should interest academics and policymakers inside and outside the region. The book offers insightful up-to-date analyses and perspectives for understanding the BRIs implications (and challenges) in the years to come, and it zeroes in on important questions that remain unanswered.-- "International Journal of Asian Studies" "Bringing together a collection of the top experts watching Chinese foreign policy, The Belt and Road Initiative and the Future of Regional Order in the Indo-Pacific is a hugely insightful primer on the Belt and Road's ongoing and evolving impact across Asia."--Raffaello Pantucci, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies "Comprehensive in scope, this timely volume will be essential reading for anyone who needs to understand China's Belt and Road Initiative and its global implications. Not only does it offer insights into Beijing's interests and actions across continental and maritime Eurasia, but it provides expert analysis about how China's most important neighbors, from India and Australia to Russia and Egypt, are likely to respond. All told, it raises worrisome questions about China's new role in the global order and the waning of American leadership."--Daniel Markey, Johns Hopkins University About the Author Michael Clarke is associate professor at the National Security College at Australian National University. Matthew Sussex is associate professor at the National Security College at Australian National University. Nick Bisley is profes