China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Africa, and the Middle East

Jean-Marc F. Blanchard is Founding Executive Director of the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (USA) and Distinguished Professor, School of Advanced International and Area Studies, East China Normal University (China). Two of his recent edited book publications relate to China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative. One is China’s Maritime Silk Road and Southeast Asia (Palgrave, 2019) and the other is China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative and South Asia (Palgrave, 2018). Dr. Blanchard has orchestrated three special issues on China’s MSRI in leading journals. Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Blanchard worked for the U.S. Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Resolution Trust Corporation, and Kelling, Northcross, & Nobriga.

• 1.China’s MSRI in Africa and the Middle East: Political Economic Realities Continue to Shape Results and Ramifications.- 2.The Maritime Silk Road Initiative: Connecting Africa.- 3.The Maritime Silk Road Initiative and Ethiopia: Transforming Policies, Institutions, and Politics in Expected and Unexpected Ways.- 4.Djibouti and Small State Agency in the Maritime Silk Road: The Domestic and International Foundations.- 5.Tanzania in China’s MSRI: The “Chinese Dream” awaits Alignment with the African One.- 6.Iran in China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI): Bounded Progress and Bounded Promise.- 7.The Missing MSRI in Iraq: The Southern Opportunity.- 8.The Gulf Cooperation Council’s “Visions” of Maritime Silk Road Initiative Cooperation.- 9.Egypt in China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative: Relations Cannot Surmount Realities

“Clearly structured and fluently written, this volume stands as a pioneering work on China’s MSRI in Africa and MENA. … The detailed examinations of MSRI projects are well-suited for introductory overview while they also include direct policy implications that will certainly inspire observers and decision-makers.” (Hang Lin, Acta Via Serica, Vol. 7 (1), June, 2022)