The second edition of The Routledge Handbook of the Belt and Road encompasses the many recent developments across the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) from 2019 to 2021, while retaining the comprehensive introduction to BRI from the first edition. The Handbook is a comprehensive review of the theory and practice of the BRI, the contributors to which are leading researchers in their fields. It illuminates the intentions and principles, history and current status, basic knowledge and latest studies, and promotion mechanisms on the whole BRI. This edition includes 132 entries in total, with a supplementary section on the Belt and Road forums for international cooperation, 22 brand new entries, and 13 revised and updated chapters, reflecting current progress. The book provides an authoritative and up-to-date overview of the BRI, and thereupon an explanatory interpretation of China’s development strategy and international policy stance. Already serving as the essential “encyclopaedia” of the BRI, this second edition will be a must-read for members of global think tanks, policy makers, and observers involved in the BRI construction, as well as researchers interested in international relations, Chinese economics, politics, and international policy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, a development strategy involving infrastructure development and investments in countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. It has rapidly turned into action, reflected in the establishment of a series of international cooperation mechanisms, landing of cooperation projects, and harvest of some early results. The influence is huge, and controversy is not unexpected. As one of the most frequently mentioned concepts in the official media, how does the “bid to enhance regional connectivity” construct a unified large market through cultural exchange and integration in practice? What is the status quo of building an innovative pattern with capital inflows, talent pool, and technology database? Routledge Handbook of the Belt and Road is an initial review of the theory and practice of BRI, and is the first handbook of its kind. Contributors are leading subject researchers, aiming to reflect the original intentions and principles, history and current situation, basic knowledge and latest studies. A total of 117 entries related to the BRI have been included, organised into 12 clear parts covering the following key topics: • China’s reform and opening-up and formation of the BRI • Backstory, concept and framework • The five roads and six economic corridors • Foreign affairs with Chinese characteristics • International action plans relevant and similar to the BRI • Case studies of the BRI implementation and promotion Routledge Handbook of the Belt and Road is an essential guide for researchers, practitioners and observers involved in the BRI construction. Global think tanks, media practitioners and universities will also find the book a useful reference.

This Handbook approaches Chinese Studies from an interdisciplinary perspective while attempting to establish a fundamental set of core values and tenets for the subject, in relation to the further development of Chinese Studies as an academic discipline. It aims to consolidate the current findings in Chinese Studies, extract the essence from each affiliated discipline, formulate a concrete set of ideas to represent the ‘Chineseness’ of the subject, establish a clear identity for the discipline and provide clear guidelines for further research and practice. Topics included in this Handbook cover a wide spectrum of traditional and newly added concerns in Chinese Studies, ranging from the Chinese political system and domestic governance to international relations, Chinese culture, literature and history, Chinese sociology (gender, middle class, nationalism, home ownership, dating) and Chinese opposition and activism. The Handbook also looks at widening the scope of Chinese Studies (Chinese psychology, postcolonialism and China, Chinese science and climate change), and some illustrations of innovative Chinese Studies research methods. The Routledge Handbook of Chinese Studies is an essential reference for researchers and scholars in Chinese Studies, as well as students in the discipline.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013, carries and projects powerful regional dimensions and transformations, with short- and long-term global, national and local consequences. The BRI’s regional significance lies in its designation and creation of several cross-border corridors that originate from inside China and extend out into its neighbouring countries, and those farther afield in Asia, Africa and Europe. Through driving and facilitating new trade and infrastructure connections along and beyond these corridors, the BRI has begun to reshape the master processes of globalisation, urbanisation and development by affecting the economic, social and spatial fortunes of many countries and cities. This book serves two purposes. First, through a new framework and three case studies, it examines the BRI’s impacts on globalisation, urbanisation and development via the China-Europe Freight Train, the paired construction of a new city and railway across the China-Laos borderland and the port-park-city development corridor between Djibouti and Ethiopia. Second, the comparative analysis and evidence guide the book to advance policy recommendations for targeted stakeholders that can potentially turn the BRI into a global public good with greater benefits and fewer risks.

The Routledge Handbook of China–India Relations provides a much-needed understanding of the important and complex relationship between India and China. Reflecting the consequential and multifaceted nature of the bilateral relationship, it brings together thirty-five original contributions by a wide range of experts in the field. The chapters show that China–India relations are more far-reaching and complicated than ever and marked by both conflict and cooperation. Following a thorough introduction by the Editors, the handbook is divided into seven parts which combine thematic and chronological principles: Historical overviews Culture and strategic culture: constructing the other Core bilateral conflicts Military relations Economy and development Relations with third parties China, India, and global order This handbook will be an essential reference work for scholars interested in International Relations, Asian Politics, Global Politics, and China–India relations.

The Routledge Handbook of Asian Security Studies provides a detailed exploration of security dynamics in the three distinct subregions that comprise Asia, and also bridges the study of these regions by exploring the geopolitical links between each of them. The Handbook is divided into four geographical parts: Part I: Northeast Asia Part II: South Asia Part III: Southeast Asia Part IV: Cross-regional Issues This fully revised and updated second edition addresses the significant developments which have taken place in Asia since the first edition appeared in 2009. It examines these developments at both regional and national levels, including the conflict surrounding the South China Sea, the long-standing Sino-Indian border dispute, and Pakistan’s investment in tactical nuclear weapons, amongst many others. This book will be of great interest to students of Asian politics, security studies, war and conflict studies, foreign policy and international relations generally.

Despite post-Cold War arguments about their demise, ‘Great Powers’ not only continue to thrive, with lesser Powers they form the basis of the constellation of global politics. This topical new Handbook illustrates how and why the new international order has evolved – and is still evolving – since the end of the Cold War, through the application of diplomacy and statecraft. Including cutting edge contributions from over 40 scholars, the handbook is structured around seven sections: Context of Diplomacy Great Powers Middle Powers Developing Powers International Organisations and Military Alliances International Economy Issues of Conflict and Co-operation Through analysis of a wide range of case studies, the Handbook assesses the diplomacy and statecraft of individual powers, offering insights into how they function, their individual perception of national interests and the roles they play in modern statecraft. The contributors also seek to evaluate the organizations and contemporary issues that continue to influence the shaping of the new international order. A comprehensive survey of diplomacy across the world, this work will be essential reading for scholars and professionals alike.