The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative An analysis of three European Union countries' responses towards the Belt and Road Initiative
Author
Kammerer, Fabienne Sihua
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-25
Pages
58
Abstract
This thesis examines why European Union member states respond differently to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2012 and variously praised for boosting infrastructure and trade and criticized for debt dependence, limited transparency, and environmental and human rights concerns. Noting political divisions within Europe—especially between some Central and Eastern European countries and larger Western economies—the study asks: Why do different EU member states react differently to the BRI? It conducts a comparative case study of three EU countries (Germany, Hungary, and Greece) through qualitative analysis of official foreign ministry documents (press releases, speeches, interviews, and joint statements) that explicitly reference the BRI. The analysis applies a buy‑in framework developed by Carolijn van Noort and Thomas Colley, combining strategic narratives with the concept of ontological security, to show how national self‑narratives, perceived material benefits, and resonance with China’s narratives shape state positions. The aim is to explain variation from supportive to cautious stances across cases. Specific empirical findings for each country are presented in later chapters and are not included in this excerpt, but overall the study seeks to illuminate how differences in identity narratives, security concerns, and expected gains drive divergent EU responses to the BRI.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvorfor EU-medlemsstater reagerer forskelligt på Kinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), som blev lanceret i 2012 og både hyldes for at fremme infrastruktur og handel og kritiseres for gældsafhængighed, manglende gennemsigtighed samt miljø- og menneskerettighedsproblemer. Med udgangspunkt i den politiske splittelse i Europa – særligt mellem visse centrale og østeuropæiske lande og større vesteuropæiske økonomier – formulerer specialet forskningsspørgsmålet: Hvorfor reagerer forskellige EU-lande forskelligt på BRI? Analysen gennemfører et komparativt casestudie af tre EU-lande (Tyskland, Ungarn og Grækenland) baseret på kvalitativ tekstanalyse af officielle udenrigsministerielle dokumenter (pressemeddelelser, taler, interviews og fælleserklæringer), som eksplicit omtaler BRI. Teoretisk anvendes et buy-in-rammeværk udviklet af Carolijn van Noort og Thomas Colley, der kombinerer strategiske narrativer med begrebet ontologisk sikkerhed, for at belyse, hvordan nationale selvfortællinger, opfattede materielle gevinster og resonans med Kinas fortællinger former landenes holdninger. Formålet er at forklare variationen fra støtte til skepsis på tværs af sagerne. De specifikke empiriske resultater pr. land præsenteres i specialets senere kapitler og fremgår ikke i denne uddrag, men undersøgelsen søger overordnet at fremhæve, hvordan forskelle i identitetsfortællinger, sikkerhedsopfattelser og forventede fordele kan drive de divergent EU-reaktioner på BRI.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
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