Research trends and agenda on the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative with a focus on maritime transport

ABSTRACT

The ‘Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road’ (collectively known as Belt and Road, B&R) has been initiated by the Chinese government in 2013. The B&R is increasingly becoming a focal point for socio-economic–political interests because of its likely impact on land and sea transport and maritime logistics. The aims of this study were threefold: first, to provide an overview on the B&R, focusing on its key structural elements, such as transport corridors, city clusters, dry ports, infrastructure, zoning, and area development; second, to identify the expected impacts of the B&R on trade and implications on structural changes in transportation systems, port networks, and international logistics. Finally, to discuss major research trends and setting up of research agenda which will contribute to enriching the existing literature and shaping the global trade operations and drive economic growth in the context of the B&R.

KEYWORDS:

• Belt and Road (B&R) initiative
• Maritime Silk Road
• Asian container port
• China
• economic corridors
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. On further discussions of the aim and motivation of the B&R, see Cheng (2016), Huang (2016), Blanchard (2016), and Yu (2016).

2. In terms of military strategy, the port can be juxtaposed with the MSR because India is interested in security in the Indian Ocean (Karim 2015; Brewster 2016).

3. On the case study of the impact of the ancient Silk Road on urban system change in West China, see Xie et al. (2007).

4. The first author attended all the events. The second author did except (vi), the third author except (ii) and (iii), the fourth author except (iii), (iv), and (vii), and the fifth author except (ii), (iii), and (v), respectively.

5. Special issues of Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Transport Reviews, Journal of Transport Geography, Maritime Policy & Management, and Journal of International Logistics and Trade have been arranged for the conference.