11/29/2016

CompetingVisions|ReconnectingAsia

ReconnectingAsia
Mappingcontinentalambitions
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CompetingVisions
AgeoeconomiccontestisunderwaytoshapeAsiasfuture.Regionalpowersareputtingforwardambitiousplansforbuildingroads,railways,pipelines,andother
hardinfrastructureacrosstheregion.Drawingonofficialsources,CSISexpertsdevelopedthemapsbelowtoillustratesomeofthesecompetingvisions.Eachmap
captures,inbroadstrokes,themajorinfrastructureprioritiesofaleadingactor.Collectively,thesemapspreviewacompetitionaswiderangingastheregionitself.
Asthisstoryunfolds,thecollectionbelowwillbeexpandedandupdated.

Announcedin2013,ChinasOneBeltOneRoad(OBOR)initiativedrivesacrosstheEurasianlandmassintwograndsweeps:theoceanbased21stCentury
MaritimeSilkRoadandtheoverlandSilkRoadEconomicBelt.AsChinesePresidentXiJinpingssignatureforeignpolicyeffort,OBORisstrikingforitsopacityas
wellasitsambition.Onthesurface,itimaginesafutureEurasiawhereallroutesleadtoBeijing.Asanopenendedframework,however,theinitiativeislessclear.It
combinesnewandolderprojects,coversanuncertaingeographicscope,andincludeseffortstostrengthenhardinfrastructure,softinfrastructure,andevencultural
ties.

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CompetingVisions|ReconnectingAsia

Indiasvisionisprimarilyfocusedonincreasingconnectivitywithinitsownborders.Lookingoutsideitsborders,IndiaseestheSouthAsianAssociationfor
RegionalCooperation(SAARC)aslargelyparalyzed.Instead,theModigovernmentisfocusedonassemblingsmallsgroupsofitsneighborsor"coalitionsofthe
willing,"insupportofitsregionaleconomicobjectives.OthereffortsreflectIndiasgeopoliticalinterests.BydevelopingChabaharPortinIran,forexample,India
intendstobypassPakistanandaccessoverlandroutestoEuropeandCentralAsia.Lookingevenfurther,PrimeMinisterNarendraModisActEastpolicyaimsto
strengthenlinksbetweenIndiaandASEANnations,givingIndiaslandlockednortheastregionbetteraccesstoitssouthernportsandestablishingnewlandcorridors
connectingIndiatoThailandthroughMyanmar.

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CompetingVisions|ReconnectingAsia

Prioritizingeastwestconnections,JapansvisionstemsfromdecadesofinvestinginSoutheastAsia,whereexistinginfrastructurereflectstheneedsofJapanese
supplychains,especiallymaintainingaccesstothesea.Japanisactingswiftlytodefendthisincumbentadvantage,andhasboostedfundingtoexpandhighquality
andsustainableinfrastructureintheregionthroughitsPartnershipforHighQualityInfrastructure.ConsistentwiththeMasterPlanonASEANConnectivity,Japan
isbackinganumberofnewlandandmaritimecorridorsthatwouldincreaseconnectivitybetweentheBayofBengalandtheSouthChinaSea.JapanesePrime
MinisterShinzoAbehasalsoexpandedJapansdiplomaticfootprint,becomingthefirstsittingJapaneseleadertovisitallfivecountriesofCentralAsia.

Russiasvisioncombinessoftandhardinfrastructure.TheEurasianEconomicUnion(EAEU)isRussiasprimaryvehicleforregionaleconomicintegration,and
officialshavesuggesteditcouldbelinkedwithOBOR.Reinforcingitseconomicanddiplomaticpivottotheeast,RussiaistappingintotheChineseenergymarket
withaseriesofproposednaturalgaspipelines.Toitssouth,RussiaaimstoincreaseconnectivitywithAzerbaijan,Iran,andIndiathroughtheNorthSouthTransport
Corridor(NSTC).Toitsnorth,RussiaisplanningadditionalprojectstoadvanceitsenergyanddefenseinterestsastheArcticbecomesmoreaccessible.

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PresidentParkGeunhyesEurasianInitiativeisexpansive,incorporatingrailwaysfromSeoultotheheartofEurope,shippinglanesthroughtheArctic,and
enhancedfiberopticnetworkssuchastheTransEurasiaInformationNetwork(TEIN)throughoutSoutheastAsia.Throughincreaseddiplomacy,SouthKoreais
layingthegroundworkforstrongerrelationshipsintheregionandexpandingitscommercialrelationshipwithKazakhstaninparticular.Inlightofcurrent
geopoliticalobstacles,PresidentParksinitiativeappearstocontainbothdiplomaticallyambitiousandpracticalplans.AccountingforNorthKorea,thisincludesan
imaginedraillinethroughthedemilitarizedzoneandanalternativeundersearouteforbypassingtheNorthandconnectingtoRussiasrailnetwork.

Historically,TurkeyhasbeenastrategiclandbridgeconnectingAsiaandEuropewhilebypassingRussia.Today,Turkeyisenhancingthispositionwithmajor
domestic,subregionalandtransnationalinfrastructureprojectssuchastheBakuTbilisiKarsRailway.Turkeyalsoplanstobuildthousandsofkilometersofnew
roadsandrailwaysundertheVision2023initiative,whichwillmarkacenturysinceitsindependence.Collectively,theseeffortswouldexpandTurkeys
transportationnetworksandstrengthentheirconnectionswithAsiaandEurope.
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CompetingVisions|ReconnectingAsia

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