SIPRI, in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), presented the findings of its new report on the sea-based component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in launch events for key stakeholders throughout Asia and Europe.
The policy report, ‘The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Security implications and ways forward for the European Union’, was jointly presented in several locations— including Brussels, Berlin, Beijing and Stockholm—attracting a variety of audiences from academia and the policy community, government representatives and various research organizations.
In Beijing, Dr Lora Saalman, SIPRI Associate Senior Fellow and Fei Su, Research Assistant in the SIPRI China and Global Security Programme, launched the report at the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) and with the support from FES’s office in the region. The presentation was followed by an exchange and discussion with the local academic and policy community on China’s aspirations for the Road and the potential avenues of cooperation between China and the EU.
Two launch events took place in Brussels, where Richard Ghiasy, Researcher in the SIPRI China and Global Security Programme, presented the report to the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China which was followed by a presentation at the offices of FES.
In Berlin, Richard Ghiasy and Fei Su launched the report to the academic and policy community at the premises of the Permanent Representation of the City of Hamburg.
In Stockholm, the panel discussion—held at SIPRI on 12 September—brought together the authors of the report with expertise from the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). The event was live-streamed and is available to view on SIPRI's Facebook and YouTube channels. For further information read the original invitation to the event.
About the report
‘The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Security implications and ways forward for the European Union’ follows SIPRI’s research on the security implications of the Silk Road Economic Belt in 2017. The report examines the impact of the two most strategic maritime spaces that the initiative traverses: the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean Region. It assesses the implications of the project for European Union (EU) foreign and security interests, but should also be relevant to all stakeholders of the Road.
The policy report complements the February 2017 SIPRI–Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung publication on the land-based component of the BRI, the Belt. Read and download the report here.
Live-stream and photo gallery
The SIPRI panel discussion was live-streamed and is available to view on SIPRI's Facebook and YouTube channels.
