Win-win cooperation could help China tackle the security threats to its trade strategy
Economic benefits of the initiative are potentially huge, but so too are the security risks that can arise in a region that is often volatile and dangerous
China’s push to expand its signature “Belt and Road Initiative” could generate significant economic benefits, but its expansion in often-volatile countries has led to overlooked security concerns.
Through land and maritime trade routes, mainland China’s cross-continental trade strategy mainly crosses Eurasia, which is home to some of the most politically volatile and dangerous regions. Ensuring security along trade routes to protect investment and commerce is key to the initiative’s success.
“The maintenance of security along the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ region is still less than adequate,” says Liu Haiquan, associate professor of the department of humanities and sciences at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics. “China should play a coordinator role under the premise of insisting on win-win cooperation.”
There are a number of security concerns throughout the trade initiative countries, including terrorism, political instability and piracy.
Terrorism is a significant concern in the Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Asia as well as Southeast Asia.
For example, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which share borders with China, militants have set up bases using mountainous terrain and existing terrorist networks. Tighter economic links with those countries is drawing China closer to terrorist threats that could undermine the success of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an important part of the trade initiative, with around US$60 billion worth of infrastructure.
