China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Beijing-led format for international cooperation through the building of land and sea corridors connecting China with other countries and regions. One of its pillars is the Digital Silk Road (DSR), which aims to reduce the digital divide and improve the digita...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Vestnik RUDN. International Relations |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/38467/23265 |
| _version_ | 1797232024765857792 |
|---|---|
| author | Irina I. Arsentyeva |
| author_facet | Irina I. Arsentyeva |
| author_sort | Irina I. Arsentyeva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Beijing-led format for international cooperation through the building of land and sea corridors connecting China with other countries and regions. One of its pillars is the Digital Silk Road (DSR), which aims to reduce the digital divide and improve the digital connectivity of the participating countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the DSR’s activation, which makes it urgent to study its practical implementation in different regions. The aim of this article is to analyze the conceptual foundations of the DSR and its implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study relies on the technology leadership theory, which allows considering the DSR as an alternative format of cooperation used by China to reform digital international relations. Since it challenges the technological dominance of the West, especially the United States, the power transition theory is also of heuristic value. The methodological basis of the research covers a wide range of general scientific methods of political analysis. The primary sources of empirical analysis are government documents, papers of think tanks, international organizations and forums, statistical data, interactive maps, speeches by officials, etc. In the course of the study, the following objectives are achieved: to trace the evolution of the DSR concept in the official policy discourse; to systematize scientific works on the issue; to highlight key elements of the initiative; to identify opportunities and limitations for its implementation in the LAC region; to present the US response to the intensification of Sino-LAC digital cooperation. It is concluded that the DSR plays an important role in achieving the strategic objective of transforming China into a technological superpower. Therefore, it is highly likely to become a backbone of cooperation under the BRI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:53:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72a30589eb22463fa0893ff440e5de9a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2313-0660 2313-0679 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T15:53:42Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vestnik RUDN. International Relations |
| spelling | doaj.art-72a30589eb22463fa0893ff440e5de9a2024-04-01T08:49:23ZengPeoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)Vestnik RUDN. International Relations2313-06602313-06792024-03-01241516410.22363/2313-0660-2024-24-1-51-6420955China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the CaribbeanIrina I. Arsentyeva0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4145-8790Institute of Philosophy and Law, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of SciencesThe Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Beijing-led format for international cooperation through the building of land and sea corridors connecting China with other countries and regions. One of its pillars is the Digital Silk Road (DSR), which aims to reduce the digital divide and improve the digital connectivity of the participating countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the DSR’s activation, which makes it urgent to study its practical implementation in different regions. The aim of this article is to analyze the conceptual foundations of the DSR and its implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study relies on the technology leadership theory, which allows considering the DSR as an alternative format of cooperation used by China to reform digital international relations. Since it challenges the technological dominance of the West, especially the United States, the power transition theory is also of heuristic value. The methodological basis of the research covers a wide range of general scientific methods of political analysis. The primary sources of empirical analysis are government documents, papers of think tanks, international organizations and forums, statistical data, interactive maps, speeches by officials, etc. In the course of the study, the following objectives are achieved: to trace the evolution of the DSR concept in the official policy discourse; to systematize scientific works on the issue; to highlight key elements of the initiative; to identify opportunities and limitations for its implementation in the LAC region; to present the US response to the intensification of Sino-LAC digital cooperation. It is concluded that the DSR plays an important role in achieving the strategic objective of transforming China into a technological superpower. Therefore, it is highly likely to become a backbone of cooperation under the BRI.https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/38467/23265belt and road initiativedigital infrastructuredigital geopoliticscovid-19 pandemicus-chinese confrontationtechnology leadershippower transition theory |
| spellingShingle | Irina I. Arsentyeva China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean Vestnik RUDN. International Relations belt and road initiative digital infrastructure digital geopolitics covid-19 pandemic us-chinese confrontation technology leadership power transition theory |
| title | China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| title_full | China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| title_fullStr | China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| title_full_unstemmed | China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| title_short | China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| title_sort | china s digital silk road challenges and opportunities for latin america and the caribbean |
| topic | belt and road initiative digital infrastructure digital geopolitics covid-19 pandemic us-chinese confrontation technology leadership power transition theory |
| url | https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/viewFile/38467/23265 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT irinaiarsentyeva chinasdigitalsilkroadchallengesandopportunitiesforlatinamericaandthecaribbean |