The New Silk Road: 21st century maritime silk route e sua relevância para a política externa chinesa.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This dissertation falls within the scope of Political Science and International Relations, with a particular focus on Maritime Studies, Geopolitics and International Trade. The object of study is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and more precisely its maritime investment arm, called the 21st Century Maritime Silk Route; this study aims to highlight the real importance of the BRI project for the People's Republic of China (PRC), considering its possible economic, strategic and geopolitical returns for the country. With a qualitative and exploratory methodological basis, based on documentary and bibliographic analysis, and on international news sources selected with criteria and recognized credibility, the study uses theoretical references from the English School, particularly aspects of Realism and Liberalism, and Geopolitical and International Relations foundations to analyze the research problem over three sessions; which respectively discuss the PRC's historical and economic context related to the Silk Road, the geopolitical context of the Eurasian region and the cooperative scope of the BRI project, and the overlap between this region and the PRC's already declared zones of interest, as well as the project's main investment points. These conditions, when observed in a macro context, corroborate the conclusion of the work and confirm the hypothesis presented, that the BRI plays a fundamental and strategic role in strengthening China’s influence on the international stage and in the objectives that the country wishes to achieve in its foreign policy.