China's Governance Approach to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Relations, Partnership, and Law

Abstract

This article looks at how China conducts intergovernmental relations with the BRI countries. By examining the normative documents produced in the BRI cooperation as well as the rather informal BRI dialogue mechanisms, this article argues that China adopts a partnership-based, relational approach in ordering bilateral, regional and global economic cooperation. The Chinese approach may offer an alternative governance model in international relations but we have to wait and see what will eventually happen in the already very dynamic BRI process.