China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Intra-Regional Dynamics in Africa
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Date
2020-10-20Author
Otele, Oscar M
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
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This article examines the influence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on
intra-regional dynamics. Given that the BRI traverses many countries, what has not been
fully addressed in the literature is how the initiative is likely to influence inter-state
relations in specific regions. This article fills this gap by examining the influence of the BRI
on intra-regional dynamics, taking East Africa as the case study. The article finds that the
implementation of the BRI infrastructure projects—the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia
Transport [LAPSSET] corridor and the Standard Gauge Railway [SGR]—has pushed
Uganda and Rwanda into close partnership with Tanzania on the one hand, and
resurrected historical suspicion between Kenya and Tanzania on the other. This regional
realignment has produced gains and losses in the short term and is likely to alter the
traditional balance of power in the long term. Furthermore, the implementation has
provided agency of choice to Uganda and Rwanda to maneuver between Kenya and
Tanzania, thereby aligning their choices with respective national interests. However,
potential risks could reduce competition and favor cooperation, thereby promoting
regionalism.
Citation
African Studies Quarterly | Volume 19, Issues 3-4 | October 2020Publisher
BRILL
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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