One Belt One Road

The most sophisticated and illuminating piece of work on the Belt and Road. -- Tom Miller, author of <i>China's Asian Dream: Empire Building along the New Silk Road</i> A brilliant book-lucid, sober, and thoughtful in its conclusions, it deserves to be read widely. Eyck Freymann cuts through the hype and brings light, not heat, to understanding how China combines diplomacy and economics. With a huge range of sources, he shows that One Belt One Road is likely to be neither a new Chinese empire nor simply a trade network. Essential reading. -- Rana Mitter OBE FBA, Director, University of Oxford China Centre When is an overland road a 'belt?' Where is a maritime sea lane a 'road?' Answer: in the sloganeering ambition of China's One Belt One Road initiative. But what is it? Is it 'China's Marshall Plan'? Is it a scheme for 'debt-trap diplomacy'? Is it really new, or does it build on older aims and ideas? Eyck Freymann is our guide, and his beautifully written book escorts us by land and sea to Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Greece, and beyond to answer these questions and more. As the Michelin Guide notes when it awards three stars: this book 'is worth a special journey.' -- William C. Kirby, T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies, Harvard University Freymann's expertly researched and accessible work helps clarify misconceptions and provides a coherent set of recommendations for policymakers. Required reading. -- Paul Haenle, former Director for China, United States National Security Council Freymann cuts through the Western narrative about One Belt One Road to show that China is more often successfully attracting willing partners than preying on victims-a provocative conclusion that requires Western policymakers to think again. -- Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard Kennedy School