Since its launch in 2013, the “Belt and Road” Initiative has grown into one of the world`s largest platforms for cooperation, encompassing more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations. The initiative aims to promote the orderly and free flow of economic factors, efficient allocation of resources and deep integration of markets, and to promote economic policy coordination among countries along the routes, it is an active exploration of new models of international cooperation and global governance to carry out regional cooperation at a larger scale, at a higher level and at a deeper level. The “Belt and Road” initiative will not only help promote economic integration among the countries along the routes, promote trade and investment flows, and improve the system of global economic governance, it also provides an important platform for China to enhance its voice and influence on the international stage. Based on this background, we set up the “Belt and Road network subject library”, to enable academic research and policymakers to better understand and analyse the effectiveness of “Belt and Road” initiatives and their impact on the global governance landscape.

Our Lab focuses on areas along the “Belt and Road” , the data index system including six key dimensions of regional trade network, investment network, production network, innovation network, FTA network and supply chain network is established, strive to provide users with comprehensive data support on “Belt and Road” regional networks, it includes multi-dimensional dynamic analysis of trade flow, investment relationship, production distribution, innovation cooperation, supply chain linkage and so on. The database will not only help academics analyse in-depth the economic links and networks between countries along the “Belt and Road”, but also provide a basis for governments and companies to make decisions, china to play a bigger role in global governance. Through the visualization and quantitative analysis of relevant networks, the database will provide a solid data base for Chinese strategic adjustments and international cooperation under the “Belt and Road” framework.

A map of the trade networks of the countries along the “Belt and Road” in 2018

The lab has applied The Belt and Road Network Specialized Database and published 1 paper in Journal of Renmin University of China:

Lyu Yue, Wei Yaning, Wang Qiang. The Belt and Road Initiative and the Extending of Global Trade Network. Journal of Renmin University of China. 2023, 1.