Presentation of SIPRI-FES Report on the Maritime Silk Road to experts from the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS)

The meeting was coordinated by FES on the occasion of Ms Saalman’s and Ms Su’s visit to Beijing.

The report released this summer and co-funded by SIPRI and FES sparked lively reactions, comments, praise and criticism from the Chinese participants.

One of the major dividing lines consisted in the matter to what extent BRI in general and the Maritime Silk Road in particular have security and political implications. While these implications represent the focus of the report, a number of Chinese experts claimed that BRI and its maritime component were of solely economic nature.

This debate stands in the context of several talks the SIPRI authors previously held with experts from countries along the Maritime Silk Road. It thus represents another important and valuable input for the further development of SIPRI-FES work on BRI.