China’s Communication of the Belt and Road Initiative

Dr Carolijn van Noort is a Lecturer in Politics and Public Policy at the University of the West of Scotland. Her research focuses on the international political communication of rising powers. Her first book, Infrastructure Communication in International Relations, examined how rising powers communicate about infrastructure internationally.

• 1. Belt and Road Communication 2. Infrastructure Narratives: Communication of Infrastructure Modalities 3. Silk Road Narratives: Selective Communication of History 4. Infrastructure Achievements and the Belt and Road Forum in 2019 5. The Alternative North-South Road in Kyrgyzstan 6. The Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya 7. The China-Maldives Friendship Bridge 8. Historical Statecraft and Aesthetic Insecurity: Travels by Marco Polo and Ibn Battutah 9. Conclusion

"Carolijn van Noort’s fascinating analysis of China’s deployment of the Silk Road adds new layers of understanding to Belt and Road studies, and the changing ways in which the past is mobilised in the 21st century for strategic purposes. Her focus on strategic narratives reveals how Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and multilateral forums, all come together within a great arc of foreign policy and diplomacy. Moving between disciplines, this book makes a significant contribution to the changing nature of international affairs today."Tim Winter, University of Western Australia"Carolijn van Noort’s book is an excellent interdisciplinary study on how China communicates its Belt and Road Initiative at the global stage through narrating about infrastructure and Silk Road. A must-read for those who are interested in strategic communications and China’s Belt and Road."Jinghan Zeng, Lancaster University"In this remarkable study, Dr. van Noort provides a methodologically ambitious and precise, conceptually clear, and empirically rich account of China’s strategic narratives. This book discloses across three fascinating case studies the crucial role those narratives play in global politics. Dr. van Noort deploys a deep understanding of a variety of topics and resources, including history, communication, and visual politics, in this dynamic book. It is that rare study that is both intellectually rigorous and enjoyable, even exciting, to read."Brent J. Steele, The University of Utah