The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Challenges and Opportunities for Asia and Europe Contemporary Issues in the South China Sea Series

This book explores the opportunities and challenges that both Europe and Asia face under the framework of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSR Initiative), put forward by the Chinese government together with the Silk Road Economic Belt, reflects China?s ambition and vision to shape the global economic and political order. The first step and priority under the MSR Initiative, according to documents issued by China, is to build three ?Blue Economic Passages? linking China with the rest of the world at sea, two of which will connect China with Europe. This initiative, however, still faces enormous challenges of geopolitical suspicion and security risks. This book seeks to assess these risks and their causes for the cooperation between the Eurasian countries under the framework of MSR and puts forward suggestions to deal with these risks in the interdisciplinary perspectives of international relations and international law.

Featuring a global team of contributors, this book will be of much interest to students of Asian politics, maritime security, international law and international relations.

1. Introduction Part 1: Maritime Silk Road and Challenges to Asia-Europe Cooperation 2. An EU Perspective on the Maritime Silk Road: Legal Issues 3. The Northern Sea Route in the Context of China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative 4. The Challenge to the Maritime Silk Road to Port Connectivity Part 2: Sea Lanes of Communication and Navigational Safety 5. Maritime Silk Road Initiative Changing Geopolitical Configuration in the Indo-Pacific 6. Maritime Security and Sea Lanes of Communication: Geographical Perspective on Belt and Road Initiative 7. SLOCs Security in the South China Sea: Enhancing or Hindering the Maritime Silk Road? 8. The Polar Code’s Suitability as Legal Protection Against Negative Externalities in the Arctic as Part of the Polar Silk Road? Part 3: Environmental Security and Marine Resources Cooperation 9. Climate Law Implications of the Maritime Silk Road Initiative 10. Environmental Security in the South China Sea: Cooperation and Challenges under the Maritime Silk Road Initiative 11. Protection of the Marine Environment in the South China Sea in the Aftermath of the Philippines/China Arbitration 12. Conciliation for Marine Transboundary Energy Resources. A Law and Economics Approach 13. Cooperation on Fisheries Management in the South China Sea Part 4: Handling Financial and Trade Issues 14. Prospects for the Integration of Environmental, Social, and Cultural Sustainability within the Belt and Road Initiative: Case Study of the Duqm Port Development Project in Oman 15. The New Maritime Silk Road and WTO Law: Road to Harmony or Conflict?

Keyuan Zou is Harris Professor of International Law at the Lancashire Law School and Director of the Institute for International and Comparative Law, University of Central Lancashire, UK.

Shicun Wu is President of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, and a Deputy Director of the Collaborative Innovation Centre of South China Sea Studies, Nanjing University, China.

Qiang Ye is Research Associate, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at Lancashire Law School, University of Central Lancashire, UK.