OUVRAGE : K. Zou (ed.), The Belt and Road Initiative and the Law of the Sea

Keyuan ZOU 

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the year of 2013 when he visited Central Asia and Indonesia respectively. In accordance, the Belt refers to the “Silk Road Economic Belt” which is land based while the Road means the “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” which is ocean based. That is why it is also called “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR). The Initiative focuses on cooperation between China and countries along the belt and road and provides new impetus and practical paths for intra- and inter-regional connectivity. China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Commerce jointly released a document in March 2015 that offered insights in the China-initiated vision and endeavors.