OPENING CHINA’S ‘BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE’ TO COMPETITION WITH INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT: EXPANDING FREIGHT CARGO DELIVERY BETWEEN ASIA AND EUROPE TO ACCELERATE FREE TRADE AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) is China’s name for its freight cargo delivery routes between Asia and Europe. China’s BRI consists of maritime and overland routes: seafaring routes between China’s largest ports (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian, Xiamen, Yingkou) and Europe, mainly the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, together with a myriad of overland routes from Western China across South Asia then Eurasia to Eastern Europe by highway and railway, across politically and topographically challenged terrain. Numerous “chokepoints” exist in the “Near” Seas (East China, South China, and Yellow Seas), some created by China, others by the Western Alliance. Many “bottlenecks” exist across South Asia, especially involving land territory disputed by China, India and Pakistan. As a result, the BRI is laden with obstacles, not the least of which is its gargantuan expense to China and to host countries, particularly on the overland routes, exacerbated by COVID-19. International investment is required, as are competitive maritime and land routes to counter Chinese monopolies. This paper will chart some potential solutions designed to partner China’s immense BRI effort with foreign investors: (1) an express highway plus high-speed rail line between Vladivostok Russia and Łódź Poland, and (2) a sea route across the Arctic Circle (“Northwest Passage”), facilitated by global warming. Capabilities exist already, such as with the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Upgraded infrastructure requires Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Asia, Europe, and North America to balance Chinese influence, reduce debt and risk of financial collapse in developing countries. Chinese routes seem to have deliberately sidelined the Russian Federation that should be included to promote competition. Foreign investors will become attracted to East-West freight cargo transportation as opportunities for factories to open or expand across South Asia, Eurasia, Eastern Europe, creating symbiotic opportunities for competition in manufacturing, assembly, marketing, distribution and transportation. Keywords--Arctic, Asia, BRI, China, COVID-19, Eurasia, Post-Thucydides’ Trap, Russia