A New Book on Geopolitics of China’s BRI

The Belt and Road Initiative: Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Aspects

A book focusing on geopolitical aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been published by Routledge, Oxon (UK) & New York (USA), c. 2022. It’s titled “The Belt and Road Initiative: Geopolitical and Geoeconomic Aspects”.

The book is listed in the prestigious Library of Congress (U.S. Parliament Library) and the British Library. The book has been authored by two eminent academics Prof. Faisal Ahmed (New Delhi) and Prof. Alexandre Lambert (Geneva).

Prof. Faisal Ahmed is a leading Trade and Geopolitical Expert based in New Delhi. He works as a Professor in the International Business Area at FORE School of Management. Prof. Alexandre Lambert is a renowned Historian and a Geopolitical Expert. He is currently the Academic Director of the Geneva Institute of Geopolitical Studies.

The book examines China’s rise as the new centre of gravity in global geopolitics. Besides discussing the historical aspects, the book delves deep into understanding the contemporary geopolitical perspectives, great power rivalry, geoeconomics, and the Indo-Pacific region. It argues that BRI has the potential to redesign the spatial dimensions of governance. Primarily, the book is about China and its infrastructural investments and connectivity plans across the world that it pushes through the BRI. It also examines the narratives and counter-narratives of China and the United States/West on multifarious issues including the ‘debt trap’. The book also strongly highlights India’s geopolitical concerns over this initiative. 

Prof. Faisal Ahmed specialises in teaching geopolitics to management and international business students. He helps his students gain insights into the global geopolitical challenges and prepares them for larger leadership roles in a complex business environment. Prof. Ahmed’s research interests include the Indo-Pacific region, China’s trade and geopolitics, ocean diplomacy, and trade agreements. He had been Consultant to the United Nations, and has also worked on projects supported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. He has written a textbook on Business Environment, and has edited two books on India-ASEAN and India-WANA relations. Also, he has published three monographs related to trade policy, trade agreements, and UN Convention on Law of the Sea.

Given his expertise in such domains, his book on China’s BRIlucidly highlights the main geopolitical patterns, including geographical, economic, financial, technological, and strategic factors guiding the BRI. While presenting a historical account of the Silk Road and its contemporary relevance, the book also traces China’s growing influence from Eurasia to America.

Besides working on books and publishing journal papers, Prof. Ahmed writes in popular media also. His articles have appeared in newspapers like The Hindu Business Line, South China Morning Post, The Economic Times, The Financial Express, The Korea Times, and The Straits Times, among others. Also, he is frequently interviewed by Vietnam TV, BBC, and other media.

Prof. Faisal Ahmed’s new book makes a significant scholarly contribution to the field of geopolitics. The book discusses how the initiative is likely to transform international relations by the middle of the 21^st century. It is useful reading for all those who have an interest in the field of geopolitics and geoeconomics. To read it, one can simply order a copy through ane-commerce portal.