1. Silk road initiative: Do not underestimate the potential dangers
and problems
Reporter: SUN Yining
Not enough attention is given to the conflicts that may arise at many levels.There
will be conflicts between the greatpowers,conflicts within the societies thatwill
benefitfrom the projects,and conflicts in China itself. These problems require
constantnegotiations and concessions to achieve powersharing and resources
sharing as well as guaranteed access to resources and multi-dimensional
connectivity.At national and internationallevels,there mustbe stronger social
organization and popularparticipation.
Reporter: The belt and road initiative consists of two main components, the
land-based "Silk Road Economic Belt" (SREB) and oceangoing "Maritime
Silk Road" (MSR). What’s your view about China’s proposal of the belt and
road initiative? And what do you think is America’s attitude towards the belt
and road initiative?
Robert R. Bianchi
Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in China, Shanghai
International Studies University. Political scientist and
international lawyer with special interests in China and
the Islamic World. Lecturer at University of Chicago Law
School. Author of Islamic Globalization: Pilgrimage,
Capitalism, Democracy, and Diplomacy

2. Robert Bianchi: The initiative is filled with wonderful visions and ambitions, but it is
also filled with potential dangers. I am more concerned with the potential problems
and dangers. Not enough attention is given to the conflicts that may arise at many
levels. There will be conflicts between the great powers, conflicts within the societies
that will benefit from the projects, and conflicts in China itself. As far as the
Americans’ view of the Silk Road is concerned, there is no American view. Americans
don’t know much about it and don’t care much about it. The American government’s
attitude towards the idea is generally unfriendly or uninterested. Especially now,
America is completely distracted, because of its presidential politics, the Middle
Eastern problems, and Russia. In a strange way, these distractions are a blessing for
China and US relations. But they won’t last long; the heat is going to increase. As we
all know, the heat will go up and down.
Reporter: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is viewed as a supplement
of the Belt and Road Initiative. Until now, it is supported by 37 regional and
20 non-regional Prospective Founding Members (PFM). However, some
major economies including the United States, Japan and Canada did not
become PFM. What’s your view about that? And what’s your view about TPP
（Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement）and what do you think is the
profound influence of it?
Robert Bianchi: It’s viewed as a Chinese-led bank and as competition for the existing
economic institutions. Major economies will wait to see whether the new rival is an
opportunity or danger, whether this is going to be an open and universal community
or a club led by China. The older institutions are a club led by the US. Maybe we just
need a fair and open institution. It’s the same problem in the South China Sea and in
the Arctic Sea and with global climate change. Resources and territories are vital
needs that have to be shared as commons, not things to be divided or monopolized. So
the key issues are power sharing and resource sharing.
As for the TPP, China and the US have a lot to discuss. For instance, the South China
Sea, the Arctic passages, investment barriers, cyber warfare, intellectual property and
more. All of these questions revolve around mutual trust and future intentions. A

3. broad agreement of power sharing is the only way to avoid warfare and conflicts.
Reporter: Do you have any suggestions to strengthen the cooperation
between the two countries and improve bilateral relationship? What’s the
major cooperation fields and cooperation direction?
Robert Bianchi: China and the United States can improve bilateral relations by
negotiating mutually beneficial pacts on investment and trade, including joint ventures
in both countries that build on their leading positions in information sciences, finance,
higher education, mass transportation, and renewable energy. They can take the
initiative in managing and safeguarding contested and endangered global commons
that are vital to the peace and prosperity of all peoples, particularly the environment,
the oceans and sea lanes, scarce energy and natural resources, and outer space. These
ventures would require Chinese and American societies to change their perceptions of
themselves and one another—to move from mistrust and arms races toward
partnerships that offer their combined talents to the service of the entire planet.
Reporter: In one of your selected works, (Silk Roads and Great Games:
Prelude to Global Governance or Great Power Conflict?), you mentioned
that ”No matter how much Beijing hopes that its initiatives will promote
harmony and stability, they will also generate division and turbulence that
endanger its interests abroad and its well-being at home.” Would you please
tell us what kind of challenge China is going to face? And do you have any
proposals to help ease these tensions between China and international
community?
Robert Bianchi: China will be confronted with more risks abroad. China will
face more criticism of Chinese business operations by labor unions, by
environmentalists, by citizens’ groups, and other business rivals. These problems
can influence the domestic situation of China as well. Because there are so many

4. challenges and problems, I think China, the West and the Islamic world will need
to bargain more seriously as their destinies intersect. The kind of bargaining I
have in mind is an agreement for sharing resources and benefits. If we can agree
that the benefits of natural resources would be shared more fairly in the societies
where they originate, then we would have a much more stable and fair system and
a more peaceful world. Many of the conflicts between the great powers and the
revolutions and civil wars in the Islamic world and the areas of the Silk Road are
largely attributable to injustice and unfairness in distributing the benefits of
natural resources. In other words, a successful negotiation would yield
concessions about sharing power and resources as well as guaranteeing access to
resources.
Reporter: Connectivity is integral to the building of the Belt and Road. It
includes not only the physical connection of infrastructures, the soft
connection of rules and regulations, but also the connection between people.
Islamic countries along the belt and road are critical and crucial, and they
often become the hot topics due to their significant geographic position and
unique culture. What’s your view about that? And do you have any
suggestions to encourage a multi-dimensional connectivity between China
and the Islamic countries?
Robert Bianchi: That’s exactly what I am driving at: we need to talk more about
social participation, the spiritual and emotional dimensions. The missing element
of the Silk Road initiative is that it’s too hard wired. There is too much emphasis
on bullet trains and seaports and not enough emphasis on social organization and
popular participation.
Reporter: More specifically, what kind of practical measures can we take to
tackle the crisis exists in middle east, especially Iran, Israel, Iraq and
Afghanistan? What’s the role of China in addressing these issues and in

5. Islamic globalization?
Robert Bianchi: China can adopt a more active mediating role in managing and
eventually resolving many Middle Eastern crises. This requires applying Chinese
diplomatic talents to encourage compromises on three levels
simultaneously—between China and other great powers, between regional rivals
locked in stalemates and proxy wars, and within deeply divided nations that
depend on external assistance to end and recover from civil wars and ongoing
revolutions. In order to become an effective mediator, China would need to limit
its military involvement and assistance to United Nations peacekeeping missions,
emergency rescues of Chinese citizens, and humanitarian support. China will
have to try to build some kind of understanding and cooperation with US and
Russia. All of these great powers will have to work together to deal with the
turmoil in the Islamic world if we are to avoid repetition of ongoing tragedies in
Iraq, Syria, and Libya.