CHINA'S BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE (BRI): CHINESE LINKAGE AND LEVERAGE, DEMOCRATIZATION, AND REGIME CHANGE IN ASIA
type: CreativeWork
description: This thesis examines China’s global connectivity plan – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its political implications in partner countries, specifically focusing on its impact on democratization and regime change. With the rise of China, amidst declining levels of democracy, and changing nature of autocratization, this research examines if the increased Chinese engagement under BRI poses challenges to democratization in partner regimes. This thesis puts forth a novel and multidimensional conceptual framework of ‘Chinese Linkage and Leverage’ based on the seminal work of Levitsky and Way’s Western Linkage and Leverage that they use for analyzing regime change (Levitsky and Way 2010). Based on their theoretical framework, I conceptualize the Chinese Linkage and Leverage to analyze various layers and levels of Chinese engagement, specifically in the BRI partner regimes. I operationalize the independent variable of Chinese Linkage along five dimensions namely, economic, social, cultural, communication, and intergovernmental ties for 32 countries in Asia using China’s Public Diplomacy data from AidData. I operationalize the dependent variable of democratization using the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) data and examine any trends toward de-democratization in partner countries. Additionally, I use the Regimes of the World (ROW) measure from V-Dem data to examine the effects on regime type for diverse regimes in Asia. My research uses a mixed methods (MM) research design by employing a quantitative method of the time-series cross-sectional or panel data analysis, and a qualitative case study approach. I conduct a panel regression analysis with a fixed-effects (FE) model with both disaggregated and aggregated Chinese Linkage Index (CLI). My findings show mixed evidence. At a disaggregated level analysis, the Confucius Institutes (CIs) indicate a negative and significant effect, whereas the journalist visits show a positive and signi…
abstract: This thesis examines China’s global connectivity plan – the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its political implications in partner countries, specifically focusing on its impact on democratization and regime change. With the rise of China, amidst declining levels of democracy, and changing nature of autocratization, this research examines if the increased Chinese engagement under BRI poses challenges to democratization in partner regimes. This thesis puts forth a novel and multidimensional conceptual framework of ‘Chinese Linkage and Leverage’ based on the seminal work of Levitsky and Way’s Western Linkage and Leverage that they use for analyzing regime change (Levitsky and Way 2010). Based on their theoretical framework, I conceptualize the Chinese Linkage and Leverage to analyze various layers and levels of Chinese engagement, specifically in the BRI partner regimes. I operationalize the independent variable of Chinese Linkage along five dimensions namely, economic, social, cultural, communication, and intergovernmental ties for 32 countries in Asia using China’s Public Diplomacy data from AidData. I operationalize the dependent variable of democratization using the Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) data and examine any trends toward de-democratization in partner countries. Additionally, I use the Regimes of the World (ROW) measure from V-Dem data to examine the effects on regime type for diverse regimes in Asia. My research uses a mixed methods (MM) research design by employing a quantitative method of the time-series cross-sectional or panel data analysis, and a qualitative case study approach. I conduct a panel regression analysis with a fixed-effects (FE) model with both disaggregated and aggregated Chinese Linkage Index (CLI). My findings show mixed evidence. At a disaggregated level analysis, the Confucius Institutes (CIs) indicate a negative and significant effect, whereas the journalist visits show a positive and signi…
author: SHAHZAD, GUL I HINA
language: eng
keywords: China, Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, Democratization, Regime change, Chinese Linkage and Leverage, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, CPEC, Pakistan, Settore SPS/04 - Scienza Politica
date published: 2023
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:18:53Z
provider: Università degli Studi di Milano
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Università degli Studi di Milano

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/967784