Chinese Intervention in East Africa: A Comparative Case Study of The Belt and Road Initiative in Kenya and Djibouti

Abstract

The phrases Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), and New Silk Road are commonly used in western media as propagandistic language, but what do these phrases mean? What is the Belt and Road Initiative, how is China using this initiative in East African states? What implications and challenges may the BRI represent to the United States and its allies? This thesis examines international infrastructure projects in Kenya and Djibouti with connections to the Belt and Road Initiative. By examining the projects in these East African countries, using four hypotheses, this thesis aims to present a holistic picture of one of the largest global infrastructure development strategies of the twenty-first century. These examinations conclude with a discussion of recommendations for what the United States, its allies, and international policymakers can do to gain a better understanding of whether the Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese attempt towards economic hegemony, neo-imperialism or neo-colonialism, or representative of a larger realist security threat. While these examinations suggest the project is likely not a Chinese attempt towards economic hegemony, this thesis finds support for a combination of possible neo-colonial and neo-imperial motivations, and the possibility to view the Belt and Road Initiative as a threat to U.S. security.