The Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union
Why cooperation not confrontation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13137448 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wenrui Zhang (0000-0001-9042-5448, National Research University Higher School of Economics, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2673-3145 • E-ISSN: 2673-3145 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpos.2025.1721059 |
| OpenAlex | W4416676766 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
This paper examines the strategic interaction between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) spearheaded by Russia. The paper adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating political and economic theories, and employs the “Progress-Plan-Problem” (PPP) framework to assess the evolution, potentials and challenges of these two cooperation mechanisms. It also investigates why cooperation, rather than confrontation, has characterized the relationship between the BRI and the EAEU. The analysis suggests that despite underlying competition and asymmetric relationships, the convergence of Sino-Russian interests in trade, infrastructure, finance, and energy, fosters a cooperative dynamic under the BRI-EAEU coupling framework. This cooperation is further underpinned by balanced interests, mutual dependence, and resolved territorial disputes. However, the establishment of a free trade area between China and the EAEU remains premature, due to structural constraints and geopolitical tensions. Instead, the paper advocates for prioritizing preferential trade agreements and optimizing consultation mechanisms as initial steps toward deeper integration. The paper provides an in-depth conceptual analysis of the BRI and the EAEU, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the strategic cooperation and restrained competition between China and Russia
China · Competition (biology · Conceptual framework · Convergence (economics · European union · Geopolitics · Politics · Central Asia Education and Culture · Global Energy Security and Policy · Global Political and Economic Relations
Ten Years of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Dubious Economic Partnership
Strategic Responses of Advanced Economies to the Belt and Road Initiative
Revisiting China Threat
The Belt and Road Initiative
The Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt
The Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union
Trade policies in Central Asia after Eaeu enlargement and after Russian WTO accession
Regional integration and economic performance
Understanding Economic Integration in the Eurasian Economic Union – the Relevance of Integration Theories
Russia between east and west, and the future of Eurasian order
Russia's pivot to China goes astray
Russia, Post-Soviet Integration, and the Eaeu
Crouching Bear, Hidden Dragon
The formation of the Eurasian Economic Union
The Eurasian Economic Union
Non-western visions of regionalism
Eurasian Economic Union
Creating a Common Eaeu Financial Market
China-Russia Cooperation in the Northern Sea Route Development
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |