Defining the Belt and Road: How Ideas and Interests Shaped Argentina’s Approach to the Initiative

2025/01/01 by Zara C. Albright · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #International Development and Aid #International Relations and Foreign Policy #International Relations in Latin America

paper · doi:10.1590/0034-7329202500223

openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/01/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21

Abstract

Abstract How do ideas and identities affect how countries evaluate joining China’s Belt and Road Initiative? This article employs process tracing to analyze Argentina’s negotiations prior to its accession in February 2022. Argentina is a crucial case to explain because both the Macri and Fernández governments faced similar material benefits of infrastructure finance. However, the Macri government defined the BRI as a form of alignment with China, while the Fernández government interpreted it as South-South cooperation and autonomy from Western-led financial institutions. These findings show that developing countries evaluate both the material and symbolic costs and benefits of the BRI.

Discussions

• Why have Latin American countries joined 🇨🇳China’s Belt and Road Initiative? My new open access article in the Brazilian Review of International Politics traces 🇦🇷Argentina's negotiations to join [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]

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