New book 'Countering China: US Responses to the Belt & Road Initiative'

As the title suggests, the book charts the different policy initiatives that Washington DC has established in response to China’s gargantuan infrastructure projects. These include the Blue Dot Network (now coordinated by the OECD) and the BUILD Act.

The book suggests that the Trump administration, which together with Congress took the first steps in establishing these initiatives, was more consequential that commentators generally assume. It is noteworthy, Eddie Ashbee claims, that if China is considered the Biden White House has continued with many of the policies introduced when Trump was at the helm.

Nonetheless, the US faces an uphill struggle. It simply cannot match the size and scale of China’s projects. And many of the western initiatives rest upon weak foundations. While the Belt & Road may be scaled down because of challenges that it has itself faced, the US is despite all the policy pronouncements in danger of becoming a bystander. At the end of the day this may further fuel the current tensions between east and west.

Read more about the book