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The Impacts of Inland Ports on the Geopolitical Relations between China and Central Asia under the 'One Belt One Road' Initiative

'일대일로' 이니셔티브 하에서 내륙항이 중국-중앙아시아의 지정학적 관계에 미치는 영향

  • Choong-bae Lee (Department of International Trade and Logistics, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Jin-Ho Noh (Department of International Trade, Soon Chun Hyang University) ;
  • Yanfeng Liu (Chung-Ang University)
  • Received : 2020.05.18
  • Accepted : 2020.06.28
  • Published : 2020.06.30

Abstract

China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative has had a profound impact on China's relationship with Central Asia, which shares borders at North-western region. Central Asia plays an important role in securing the export market of Chinese products, supply of raw materials, and transportation route to Europe. The inland port is of significance to facilitate the development of logistics, trade and industry in the surrounding areas by enabling the distribution and import and export clearance in the region by performing the role of the seaport on the hinterland. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the development of inland ports in central and western China on the geopolitical relationship between China and Central Asia. To this end, we analyze the status of inland port development in China's Midwest by employing the SWOT-PEST analysis method to analyze the current status as well as prospects of trade, investment and transportation routes with Central Asia in terms of geopolitics. As a result of the analysis, the relations between China and Central Asian Countries are becoming more politically and economically close, but it has brought about serious challenges by domestic and foreign environmental changes. Therefore, the development of the inland ports in central and western China are determined by the geopolitical relations under 'One Belt One Road' initiative between China and Central Asia, while the development of the inland port is also expected to serve as a catalyst for the development of both regions.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the 4th EducationalTraining Program for the Shipping, Port and Logistics from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

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