This thesis aims to assess whether China and Japan’s strategies have both followed a similar economic diplomacy strategy when engaging with third countries and the corresponding projects, the Belt...Show moreThis thesis aims to assess whether China and Japan’s strategies have both followed a similar economic diplomacy strategy when engaging with third countries and the corresponding projects, the Belt and Road Initiative and the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy. While a specific motivation can be hard to pinpoint, the economic diplomacy tools they used are identifiable from agreements, public correspondence by officials or news articles that discuss reactions to the projects. Considering the case studies and the blueprints of the Free and Open Indo Pacific strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative, it is possible to conclude that Japan follows with the FOIP nearly the same or at least a very similar strategy to the BRI of China. The case studies do not always remain within the established movements of the BRI and FOIP in the used framework. The movements are along the axes of economic diplomacy primarily are between commercial and trade diplomacy. China in particular shows that it is willing to go further than Japan with using the tools of commercial diplomacy. Moreover, China is also willing to go further than Japan if they are not getting a formal participation in the BRI from another country, compared to the FOIP.Show less
China and Europe have significantly expanded their economic relations in recent years. However, this cooperation has developed at a slower pace in the political realm. Both actors expressed their...Show moreChina and Europe have significantly expanded their economic relations in recent years. However, this cooperation has developed at a slower pace in the political realm. Both actors expressed their willingness to translate their economic ties into a “strategic partnership” which will allow China and Europe to represent more of a building blocks in the international system. The main narrative in the EU-China literature is that China and Europe are too ideologically distant and thus, they will never achieve a strong partnership that goes beyond economic cooperation. Moreover, the literature presents China as an assertive actor that is looking outward just to gain economic and political advantages and the sympathy of like-minded countries. It is not a surprise that when in March 2019 the Italian government decided to join China in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), The US and other major European countries have highly criticized Italy’s naïveté. Contributing to critical scholarship, this thesis engages in constructivist theory to analyse the different identities and normative drivers underlying European and Chinese BRI discourse. This thesis argues that European and Chinese identities are not fixed concepts and since the establishment of the BRI, Europe and China have presented themselves with divergent identities. This thesis aimed to provide an answer to the question why, and to what extent, Italian participation in the BRI proves that, despite some important normative differences that underline EU-China relations, in reality, EU members can overcome this identity clash and engage in a constructive dialogue with China that is neither detrimental nor dangerous for the EU. This thesis offers a contribution to the realist dominated BRI literature by outlining the constructivist forces that shape EU-China relations. The finding of this research add a constructivist voice to the ongoing debate around the BRIShow less
