Description
Book SynopsisOne Belt One Road argues that the largest global infrastructure development program in history is not the centralized and systematic project that many assume. Rather, Eyck Freymann suggests, the campaign aims to build the cult of Chinese President Xi Jinping while exporting an ancient model of patronage and tribute.
Trade ReviewAnyone interested in great power competition should read
One Belt One Road, as Freymann combines extensive research with rigorous analysis to elucidate the PRC’s true intentions for global economic expansion.
…Would be a welcome addition to syllabi for undergraduate curricula in political science, professional military education, and Chinese foreign relations disciplines. -- Thomas Lee * H-Net Reviews *
Freymann cuts through the Western narrative about One Belt One Road to show that China is more often successfully attracting willing partners than preying on victims—a provocative conclusion that requires Western policymakers to think again. -- Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School
Freymann’s expertly researched and accessible work helps clarify misconceptions and provides a coherent set of recommendations for policymakers. Required reading. -- Paul Haenle, former Director for China, United States National Security Council
When is an overland road a ‘belt?’ Where is a maritime sea lane a ‘road?’ Answer: in the sloganeering ambition of China’s One Belt One Road initiative. But what is it? Is it ‘China’s Marshall Plan’? Is it a scheme for ‘debt-trap diplomacy’? Is it really new, or does it build on older aims and ideas? Eyck Freymann is our guide, and his beautifully written book escorts us by land and sea to Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Greece, and beyond to answer these questions and more. As the
Michelin Guide notes when it awards three stars: this book ‘is worth a special journey.’ -- William C. Kirby, T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies, Harvard University
A brilliant book—lucid, sober, and thoughtful in its conclusions, it deserves to be read widely. Eyck Freymann cuts through the hype and brings light, not heat, to understanding how China combines diplomacy and economics. With a huge range of sources, he shows that One Belt One Road is likely to be neither a new Chinese empire nor simply a trade network. Essential reading. -- Rana Mitter OBE FBA, Director, University of Oxford China Centre
The most sophisticated and illuminating piece of work on the Belt and Road. -- Tom Miller, author of
China’s Asian Dream: Empire Building along the New Silk RoadEyck Freymann sheds fresh light and understanding on the most important competition of the this century. With
One Belt One Road, the author has earned his place as one of the foremost experts on the economic strategies of the Chinese Communist Party. In this impeccably researched and well-written book, Freymann corrects misunderstandings and provides coherent recommendations that, if implemented, with preserve America’s and the free world’s competitive advantages. -- H. R. McMaster, author of
Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World
