In the second decade of the 21st century, and especially with the rule of its fifth generation of elites, China has taken steps to consolidate its power in the trans-regional arena. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), announced in 2013, expanded in 2017 to include more than 65 countries. By 2021, more than 140 countries signed amemorandum of understanding with China to become a member of the BRI. Although the initiative was initially limited, over time and its acceptance, China’s approach changed and declared it unrestricted (open and public to join). The main question is, what is the position of the Persian Gulf in the China BRI? The present article argues that the Persian Gulf, as an important and strategic region after Southeast Asia, is the most important region for China, using a descriptive-analytical method. Findings show that the Persian Gulf is a strategic region with an important position for China, which imports more than 40 percent of its crude oil from this region. The Persian Gulf, with a population of more than 170 million (market)and an investment destination rich in hydrocarbon resources, is located between Asia, Africa, and Europe and is one of the poles of BRI. In this article, the method of collecting materials is documentary, and the concepts of Mega-regionalism and Quasi-inter-regionalism are considered.
Sazmand, B., & Ramezani, A. (2021). The Importance and Challenges of the Persian Gulf for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Journal of Iran and Central Eurasia Studies, 4(1), 75-108.
MLA
Bahareh Sazmand; Ahmad Ramezani. "The Importance and Challenges of the Persian Gulf for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)", Journal of Iran and Central Eurasia Studies, 4, 1, 2021, 75-108.
HARVARD
Sazmand, B., Ramezani, A. (2021). 'The Importance and Challenges of the Persian Gulf for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)', Journal of Iran and Central Eurasia Studies, 4(1), pp. 75-108.
VANCOUVER
Sazmand, B., Ramezani, A. The Importance and Challenges of the Persian Gulf for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Journal of Iran and Central Eurasia Studies, 2021; 4(1): 75-108.
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