Within the discourse surrounding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the concept of debt trap diplomacy has garnered significant attention. Critics argue that the BRI is a cunning strategy to ensnare nations in debt and exert control, while proponents maintain that such claims are distorted by media sensationalism. In this session, we dissect the origins, evidence, and consequences of debt trap diplomacy allegations, aiming to uncover whether they reflect a genuine strategy or an exaggerated narrative. Join us for a nuanced exploration of this pivotal aspect of the BRI conversation.

Dr. Deborah Brautigam is the Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of Political Economy and Director of the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Her most recent books include The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa (OUP, 2010) and Will Africa Feed China? (OUP, 2015). Before joining SAIS in 2012, she taught at Columbia University and American University. Dr. Bräutigam’s teaching and research focus on international development strategies, governance, and foreign aid. She has twice won the Fulbright research award and is a recipient of fellowships from the Council on Foreign Relations, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and research grants from the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK Centre for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR). She has served as a consultant for Transparency International, the United Nations, the World Bank, DFID, GIZ, DANIDA, the African Development Bank, and USAID, and has provided commentary to the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Guardian, CNN, NPR, Al-Jazeera, VOA, CCTV, and MSNBC. Dr. Bräutigam has been a visiting scholar at the World Bank, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and advised more than a dozen governments on China-Africa relations. Her PhD is from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

Francis Fukuyama is the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), and a faculty member of FSI's Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL). He is also Director of Stanford's Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy, and a professor (by courtesy) of Political Science. Dr. Fukuyama has written widely on issues in development and international politics. His 1992 book, The End of History and the Last Man, has appeared in over twenty foreign editions. His most recent book, Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, was published in Sept. 2018. His latest book, Liberalism and Its Discontents, was published in May 2022. Francis Fukuyama received his B.A. from Cornell University in classics, and his Ph.D. from Harvard in Political Science. He was a member of the Political Science Department of the RAND Corporation, and of the Policy Planning Staff of the US Department of State. From 1996-2000 he was Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Professor of Public Policy at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, and from 2001-2010 he was Bernard L. Schwartz Professor of International Political Economy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University. He served as a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics from 2001-2004. Dr. Fukuyama holds honorary doctorates from Connecticut College, Doane College, Doshisha University (Japan), Kansai University (Japan), Aarhus University (Denmark), and the Pardee Rand Graduate School. He is a non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the Center for Global Development. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rand Corporation, the Board of Governors of the Pardee Rand Graduate School and the Volcker Alliance, and a member of the American Political Science Association and the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Fukuyama is married to Laura Holmgren and has three children.

Michael Bennon is a Research Scholar at CDDRL for the Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative. Michael's research interests include infrastructure policy, project finance, public-private partnerships and institutional design in the infrastructure sector. Michael also teaches Global Project Finance to graduate students at Stanford. Prior to Stanford, Michael served as a Captain in the US Army and US Army Corps of Engineers for five years, leading Engineer units, managing projects, and planning for infrastructure development in the United States, Iraq, Afghanistan and Thailand.
 

Moderator:

Jean C. Oi is the William Haas Professor of Chinese Politics in the Department of Political Science and a Senior Fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University. A Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, she directs the China Program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and is the Lee Shau Kee Director of the Stanford Center at Peking University. She also is the current President of the Association for Asian Studies.

As the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) continues to shape global connectivity, the role of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) within this expansive framework often sparks debate. In this session, we delve into a comprehensive analysis of the AIIB's actual contributions, dispelling myths and shedding light on its genuine impact within the context of the BRI.

Speakers:

Maria Adele Carrai is an Assistant Professor of Global China Studies at NYU Shanghai. Her research explores the history of international law in East Asia and investigates how China’s rise as a global power shapes norms and redefines the international distribution of power. She co-leads the Research Initiative 'Mapping Global China,' and is the author of Sovereignty in China: A Geneology of a Concept since 1840 (CUP 2019) and co-editor of The China Questions 2 - Critical Insights into US-China Relations (HUP 2022). Before joining NYU-Shanghai, she was a recipient of a three-year Marie-Curie fellowship at KU Leuven. She was also a Fellow at the Italian Academy of Columbia University, Princeton-Harvard China and the World Program, Max Weber Program of the European University Institute of Florence, and New York University Law School.

Rodrigo Salvado is a Director General at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Salvado manages the Operational Partnership Department, which administers AIIB’s Special Funds resources. He also manages AIIB’s engagement with global and regional coordination mechanisms and partners to build relationships and mobilize additional resources for the Bank’s investment operations. Before joining AIIB in August 2022, he was Deputy Director, International Development Finance for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he was in charge of building strategic partnerships and setting up innovative financing mechanisms to mobilize public and private resources toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Previously, he worked for the African Development Bank Group where he was in charge of the Performance Based Allocation System of the African Development Fund and the coordination of the Annual Country Policy and Institutional Assessment. He also worked as a policy analyst for the Center for International Development at Harvard University and as a senior financial officer at the Central American Bank for Economic Integration in Honduras. Rodrigo holds a master’s degree in public administration in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a master’s degree in economics from the Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros in Madrid, and a bachelor’s degree of Science in Economics from the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina. He is from Italy and Argentina.

Moderator:

Jean C. Oi is the William Haas Professor of Chinese Politics in the Department of Political Science and a Senior Fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University. A Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, she directs the China Program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and is the Lee Shau Kee Director of the Stanford Center at Peking University. She also is the current President of the Association for Asian Studies.

This panel brings together experts, policymakers, and academics to critically examine the impact and realities of China's ambitious infrastructure project in the Southeast Asian region. Panelists will delve into the actual projects implemented under the BRI, analyzing their successes and challenges, while also addressing the misconceptions and myths surrounding the initiative. Key topics of discussion will include the economic benefits and potential risks for Southeast Asian countries, the extent of China's influence and involvement in regional affairs, and the overall implications for regional connectivity and cooperation. By providing evidence-based insights and unbiased analysis, the panel will bring a clearer understanding of China's BRI in Southeast Asia.

David Gordon provides direction and leadership to the IISS multi-year project on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. He also supports the Institute’s program on Geo-economics and Strategy. He writes extensively on global political and economic risks, great-power rivalry and US foreign and national security policy. Prior to joining IISS, David had a long career in both government and the private sector. He served as director of policy planning in the US State Department and as vice-chair of the US National Intelligence Council. After leaving government service, he was chairman and head of research for the global political risk advisory firm Eurasia Group. David received his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, and his master's and PhD from the University of Michigan. He has taught at Michigan, Michigan State, the University of Nairobi and Georgetown.

Jean C. Oi is the William Haas Professor of Chinese Politics in the Department of Political Science and a Senior Fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) at Stanford University. A Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, she directs the China Program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and is the Lee Shau Kee Director of the Stanford Center at Peking University. She also is the current President of the Association for Asian Studies.

Gita Wirjawan is an educator and host of the podcast “Endgame.” He is a visiting scholar at the Walter Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University. He is also the founder and chairman of Ancora Group, a partner of Ikhlas Capital, a Southeast Asia focus private equity fund, and advisor to a number of Southeast Asia based venture capital firms. Previously, he served as Minister of Trade and Chairman of Investment Coordinating Board in the Indonesian government from 2009-2014.

Min Ye is a Professor of International Relations at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University.  Her research situates in the nexus between domestic and global politics and the intersection of economics and security, with a focus on China, India, and regional relations. Professor Ye’s areas of expertise include Chinese political economy, China and India comparison, East Asian international relations, and globalization with focuses on transnational immigration and foreign investment.