The impact of China’s Belt and Road Initiative on the Western Balkan Region: An erosion of EU conditionality?

Giancarlo Cotella; Erblin Berisha

doi:10.18778/1231-1952.28.2.09

Authors

Giancarlo Cotella Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, Viale Mattioli 39, 10125 Torino, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8445-412X
Erblin Berisha Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, Viale Mattioli 39, 10125 Torino, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1378-4487

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1231-1952.28.2.09

Keywords:

Belt and Road Initiative, the Western Balkan Region, EU enlargement, China, conditionality

Abstract

The EU integration process contributes to influence the ongoing institutional changes in the Western Balkans. At the same time, the incremental inflow of Chinese capital in the region that followed the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative is progressively reshaping power relations there. This article sheds light on the interaction between these two processes, discussing whether the increasing inflow of resources may gradually erode EU conditionality and hinder the overall integration process. To do so, the authors draw on an extensive review of academic and policy documents and on selected expert interviews, upon which they compare the actions of the EU and China in the region.

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References

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