Abstract:

The role played by China's economic power within the international system on the parameters of political power has become more prominent within China's increasing regional initiatives. The extent to which the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), defined as China's prosperity belt, has been successful in meeting China's national goals or foreign policy strategies, the extent to which it has enabled the transition of power within the system, and how its expanding economic power has had an impact on the political structure will be discussed within the scope of this study. The transformative effect of this project, which was built under the leadership of China, in the system will be examined within the scope of neorealist theory and will be analyzed with the ‘’power transition’’ theory defined by Organski. This study claimed that the BRI has been stripped of its status as an economic cooperation project only, and has evolved towards a project that is moving towards realizing geopolitical goals. This article claims that in the international order, where the USA is the dominant power, there will be a power transition in the future with China, which continues to increase its power within the scope of the BRI.

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