The Maritime Silk Road and China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative Pomorski put svile i kineska inicijativa

China’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiative aims to connect Asia, Africa, Europe, and their near seas. This paper considers China’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road is a major component of the “Belt and Road” development framework announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in late 2013. The “Belt and Road” offered by China, is a platform for China’s and partner countries new engines of growth. The Silk Road (One Belt) and Maritime Silk Road (One Road) initiatives are inclusive and seek the same goal of win-win situation through joint construction, by following the same principles and connecting three continents. Beijing has promoted the beginning of a long series of dialogues and projects that have involved more than twenty Countries by now, from the Chinese coast, to Europe, following the Indian Ocean, reaching African markets, and crossing the Suez Canal. The route has been proposed as an economic instrument to help its own growth, but also to modernize ports and infrastructures of the Countries that have been taking part in it. The Initiative does not have political or military aims, as it has always been stated, but it has been pursuing a peaceful plan, addressed to Chinese wealth as much as to the worldwide growth. The programme has indeed been based on a win-win approach, which is one of the five principles of pacific coexistence, included in the UN Charter: mutual respect, equality, keeping promise, mutual benefits, and the win-win approach itself.


INTRODUCTION / Uvod
Silk Routes have existed for thousands of years connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, and many different empires, kingdoms, reigns, societies & cultures and have enriched them by transporting knowledge, ideas, cultures, religions, languages, material goods including silk, spices, grain, vegetables, fruit, animal hides, tools, wood work, metal work, art work. And the road itself has been influencing the development of the entire region for hundreds of years. Also uniting them all, with a common thread of cultural, religious and environmental heritage. The name came from one of China's most important exports-silk.
On 7 September 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the building of the 'Silk Road Economic Belt' during his visit to Kazakhstan. The same year, on 3 October, addressing the Indonesian parliament, he proposed the building of a 'New Maritime Silk Road' . Both are now collectively called "One Belt One Road" (OBOR) initiative. At the Boao Forum 1 , China released the 'Vision and Action on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road' indicating that the OBOR initiative has officially become one of China's national strategies. According to the Chinese authorities, One Belt refers to the land-based Silk Road, whereas One Road refers to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. 2 The Silk Road Economic Belt is envisioned as three routes connecting China to Europe (via Central Asia), the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean (through West Asia), and the Indian Ocean (via South Asia). The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is planned to create connections among regional waterways. 3 This initiative, One Belt and One Road (OBOR), comprises more than physical connections. It aims to create the world's largest platform for economic cooperation, including policy coordination, trade and financing collaboration, and social and cultural cooperation. In March 2015 Chinese goverment published the "Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road" white paper , which stated that Belt and Road Initiative is open and inclusive. China welcomes all countries and international and regional organizations to join the initiative, which is internationaly recognized and has received positive responses. 4

THE ONE BELT ONE ROAD INITIATIVE (BELT & ROAD) / Inicijativa Pojas i Put
The Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese proposal whose aim is to promote peaceful cooperation and common development around the world. Cooperation under the Belt and Road (B&R) framework is something in which all countries, big or small, rich or poor, can participate on an eaqual footing. This cooperation is public, transparent, open, and brings positive energy to world peace and development. 5 "One Belt One Road" run through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and developed European economies at the other, and encompassing countries with huge potential for economic development . That is initiative to connect more than 60 countries (65 at present) with physical, commercial, cultural, and other links (see Fig.1 for a map of the countries). 6 These countries have a combined population on the order of

. Zemlje uključene u OBOR inicijativu
The Belt and Road is set to promote win-win cooperation for shared development and prosperity, peace and friendship, through enhancing mutual understanding, trust, and exchanges. The Belt and Road advocates peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.
Consisting of two parts-an overland "belt" connecting China with Central Asia, Russia, South Asia, and Europe and a maritime "road" linking Chinese ports with those in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe-the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) envisions a vast network of railways, highways, ports, pipelines, and communication infrastructure spanning the Eurasian continent and facilitating trade, investment, and people-to-people exchange. 9 (see Figure 2).
In 2015, China announced a plan to develop six economic corridors to advance this initiative (see Figure 3).  The Belt and Road has identified five priority areas for international development cooperation 11 : 1. Policy coordination, including building a multilevel intergovernmental macro policy exchange and communication mechanism; coordinating economic development strategies and policies; working out plans and measures for regional cooperation; and providing joint policy support for the implementation of practical cooperation and largescale projects. 2. Facilities connectivity, including improving the connectivity of infrastructure construction plans and technical standard systems among countries along the Belt and Road; forming regional infrastructure network; and promoting green and low carbon infrastructure construction by taking into full account the impact of climate change. 3. Unimpeded trade, including improving investment and trade facilitation, removing investment and trade barriers and ensuring the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement; expanding mutual investment in such areas as agriculture, both conventional and renewable energy, information technology, biotechnology, new materials and other emerging industries. 4. Financial integration, including building a currency stability system, investment and financing system and credit information system in Asia; establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and BRICS New Development Bank (which are already in operation); strengthening financial regulation cooperation and coordination; improving mechanism of addressing crossborder risks and crisis; and encouraging commercial equity investment funds and private funds to participate in the construction of key projects under the Belt and Road. 5. People-to-people bond, including promoting cultural and academic exchanges, personnel exchanges, media cooperation, youth and women exchanges and volunteer services; expanding tourism; sharing epidemic information and exchanging of prevention and treatment technologies; increasing cooperation in science and technology by establishing joint labs, international technology transfer centers; and advancing cooperation on youth employment, entrepreneurship training, vocational skill development, social security management, public administration and management.

Belt & Road areas of cooperation / Belt & Road područja suradnje
The belt and Road initiative calls for policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and loser people to people ties. In addition to coopetation in such key areas are also highlighted for the contribution they can make to the prosperity of both economy and culture. 1. Promoting connectivity of infrastructure and facilities.
Boosting infrastructure development to enhance transnational and cross-regional connectivity ia a priority area for cooperation. China will enchourage large and creditworthy enterprises to build rails, haighways, ports, electricity, 11  Facilitating trade. B&R countries will cooperate on their custom clearance systems, and mutal recognition of their respective customs regulations, and mutal help in law enforcement, mutal recognition of inspection results, and networking of electronic certificates. "Single-window" trials have been launched in international trade, and introduction of integrated procedures for customs clearance and inspection and quarantine work has been stepped up which will realize rapid clearance procedures for import and export. 12 Chinese government released such documents as the "Action Plan It applies in the areas of ecological progress, environmental protection, pollution prevention and control, ecological restoration. 18 China promoting cooperation on water conservancy with neighbouring countries in the protection and development of cross-border rivers. Also strengthening cooperation in protecting forests and wildlife, protection and use of forest resources, the prevention of fires in border areas, prevention and control of desertification, and wetland protection, and on addressing climate change regarding forestry. 19 China is contributing its plans to global climate governance. It has worked with other coumtries in the final signing of the Paris Agreement, making an important contribution to the early entry into force of Paris Agreement. Also launching cooperation projects on solar energy, wind energy, methane gas, hydroelectric power and offering training to address climate change. 6. Promoting orderly maritime cooperation.

Financing One Belt One Road / Financiranje inicijative jedan pojas jedna cesta
China's leadership has rallied behind BRI, pledging substantial investment, creating new financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Silk Road Fund (SRF), and making diplomatic commitments to countries along the proposed routes. The establishment of supporting multilateral financial institutions, (AIIB) and (SRF), and the publication of an official "blueprint" by the National Development and Reform Commission for the implementation of BRI. 20

21 ST CENTURY MARITIME SILK ROADS / Pomorski put svile 21. stoljeća
One of the major elements of the One Belt, One Road initiative launched by China in 2013 is the concept of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The aim of this mega project is to revolutionize deep-sea trade from Southeast Asia through Africa to Europe, and to put the participating countries on the track of economic development with the help of the infrastructural developments along the coastline. Although the significance of high-speed railways and motorways is unquestionable, maritime transport still plays a primary role regarding the volumes of transport. Therefore, in a global sense, the Maritime Silk Road has an even greater significance than the "economic belt" encompassing continents.  (2015), the New Silk Road is based on five principles of the United Nations charter: mutual respect, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. The MSR would play a vital role for development in the seas through regional cooperation based on infrastructure development, financial integration, free trade, and scientific and human exchanges. The same is supported by academic literature and government reports that how the MSR may evolve newer patterns of regional trade and diplomacy.

Growing The Maritime Silk Road / Razvoj pomorskog puta svile
After China, the second most important region of the Maritime Silk Road is Southeast Asia. To break connectivity bottlenecks, China's geostrategic objective underpinning the Maritime Silk Road project is to guarantee China's control over the most important sea trade routes and uninterrupted import of raw material.
The Maritime Silk Road leaving from Fuzhou province traveling along the Malacca Straits and ending up in Europe. The Maritime Silk Road and ASEAN is most affected region of the project. 23 The Malacca Straits and Singapore are of strategic significance, but due to the power of the city state Singapore, Chinese influence may be considered minimal here. One of the key goals is to decrease China's dependence on the Malacca Strait, which carries almost 90 per cent of China's sea borne trade and energy supplies. Given this heavy dependence on one route, Beijing faces a "Malacca Dilemma". Therefore, to avert the risks inherent in this dilemma, Chinese policy aims at building ports in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This is witnessed in China's port facilities in countries such as Myanmar (Sittwe), Pakistan (Gwadar), Sri Lanka (Hambantota) and Bangladesh (Chittagong). In order to decrease the dependency from the Malacca Straits, China is also interested in the cooperation with Myanmar. The parties have agreed upon the construction of a deep-sea port and an industrial park in Kyaukphyu.
Some concepts even consider connecting the Thai Gulf and the Andaman Sea with a canal realistic. Kra Canal, or the concept of cutting a canal through the Isthmus of Kra in southern Thailand, has been a conception in the minds of visionary thinkers for hundreds of years. For Asia, the Canal will become the hub for rapidly expanding trade and cooperation between India and China, between Japan and Korea, and between Africa and Southwest Asia on the one side, and with all of East Asia on the other.
Indonesia wishes to become a kind of "coastal axis" between the Pacific and the Indian Sea, and Chinese plans are completely adapted to this idea. For China it is enormous business, since Jakarta wants to build nearly 30 ports all over the country in the near future, mainly with the help of Chinese companies.
In South Asia, the main partners are Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Pakistan. Sri Lanka welcomed the "Colombo Port City" project due to the port in Hambantota and the new quarter to be constructed around it.
Pakistan has a central position China's One Belt, One road initiative. Although the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor -concentrating on the development of the road networkmay primarily be regarded as an organic part of the Silk Road Economic Belt, it also means an important link with the new Maritime Silk Road. Pursuant to an agreement made last year, China will implement developments in the port of Gwadar, partly providing an alternative to the trade routes crossing Southeast Asia.
The next strategically significant station of the new Maritime Silk Road is the coast of Africa. Senegal, Tanzania, Djibouti, Gabon, Mozambique and Ghana are all included in the Chinese investment plans. Like other regions, the development of ports, roads and railways are closely connected here as well. China's enhancing economic presence on the continent may lay the foundation of Africa's long-term development.
Egypt -due to the significance of the Suez Canal -is also participating in the Maritime Silk Road. The Chinese are primarily interested in upgrading the port of Port Said and increasing the capacity of the canal.

DESTINATION OF THE MARITIME SILK ROAD -EUROPE / Destinacija pomorskog puta svile -Europa
The destination of the Silk Road in Europe can be found in the port of Piraeus in Greece and in north Adriatic sea ports.
Greece: Port of Piraeus -Placed out of the Greek capital (just 10 km from Athens), the Port of Piraeus is one of the main ports in Europe. Thanks to its strategical position, it represents a point of connection between Asia, Africa and Europe itself, and the international ships rely on it with different aims.
A second terminal in the Athenian port is nowadays handled by the COSCO Pacific Limited, subsidiary of the Chinese PCT COSCO Group: based in Honk Kong, the company represents the fifth container operator at a global level. The agreement signed has also taken to China an area of 23.986 m2 inside the Free Zone, where goods are stored between the transfers, and where Beijing has promoted the presence of one of its most significant international companies. The new centre in Athens allows Beijing to access to a more efficient diffusion without paying taxes or duties, especially towards Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.
After the signature of a new deal Beijing has gained the control over 51% of the Piraeus Port Authority until 2052, under the payment of around € 280 million. In addition, according to the agreement, the Chinese group will pay in a second stage other € 88 million to manage a further 16%. 24 In this way, Beijing got the benefits not only from the container's industry, but also from the cruise and car terminals. Both key factors in the Greek economy, since it is from the Piraeus that a lot of ships and ferries leave for touristic reasons (18 million passengers would leave Greek shores every year, making it the first port in Europe). But it would also be significant for Chinese future prospects, tourism being a growing sector in China, and with China's citizens more and more travelling abroad.
Entering from the Greek door, China has the possibility to access those regions facing the Mediterranean Sea, but also the inner nations, where Beijing has important interests: first of all, the chance to bring here its products, taking advantage of its proximity to the Suez Canal; secondly the encounter with a highly advanced technology. The aim is obviously to widen the possibility for China to reach more rapidly new markets, as well as to ease the circulation of those goods that it is interested to import.
The Ports of the North Adriatic -Besides the growing role of the Port of Piraeus in Greece, China is looking at another area of Europe, in order to expand its initiative of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Here, China has already started an investment project, taking advantage of a changing and widening area, which is part of a bigger region always in evolution. The European Union, the necessity of being part of a single market, the global financial crisis and the phenomenon of globalization are all elements that have been strongly influencing the role of a port like Venice, which cannot simply be an Italian port anymore, but has instead become a global port itself. And to do this, it has to face its capacity of renewing and adapting to the evolving reality. In fact, Venice is only one actor in a wider scene that involves the whole region in the North of the Adriatic Sea, which includes not only Italy, but also Slovenia and Croatia. These countries can indeed benefit from the movement of the international economic barycentre towards East Asia, with the emerging of new economies and the entrance of China in the World Trade Organization in 2001. North Adriatic Sea ports in general, has to face a obstacle, which is objectively constituted by the presence of hills and mountains that divide North Adriatic Sea ports from the rest of the European market, and that would benefit the ports of other nations, preferably chosen by overseas companies. According to a wide strategy, the problem would be solved by the creation of a network -a core network -of nine corridors -core corridors -that should connect the most important ports to their potential distribution centres. Parts of these lanes, there are four concerning Italy and, among them two passing on the Adriatic coast: -the corridor five, which runs through Gdynia These same corridors would support the development of the ports themselves, whose potential and capacity will not be given only by their maritime role, but also and most of all by their being part of that European network.
In the same area of the North Adriatic it has been developed the network system of the "multi-port gateways", given by the integration between the five main ports of the region. This strategy asks for the improvement of the maritime structures, as of the hinterland behind them.
As already stated, the North Adriatic can benefit from its position, being the more northern point in the whole Mediterranean Sea, and at the same time so close to the central Europe. Moreover, thanks to its morphology and being it so narrow, all the five main ports of the region are close enough (between 300 and 500 kilometres) to cities such as Rome, Turin and Baseldocking to Venice and Ravenna ; Vienna, Bratislava and Munich -from Venice, Trieste and Koper; Budapest, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Zagreb -from Trieste, Koper and Rijeka From here the strategical necessity of cooperation between Italy, Croatia and Slovenia, especially towards the vessels arriving from the Far East. The exploitation of the region would be an advantage for Chinese vessels especially: the route from Shanghai to North Adriatic is indeed 2000 miles shorter than the route until Hamburg (corresponding to an eight days trip), with a high saving in the production of CO2, so to have a central role in the energetic global strategy. The Adriatic region can win over the North European monopoly only working as a single port with five stopovers, that are Venice, Trieste, Koper and Rijeka, already part of the North Adriatic Port Association, and Ravenna. 25 The vision of NAPA is indeed, as it is possible to read on its website, the idea of forming "a European logistics platform, in particular with regard to servicing the markets of the Far East as well as Central and Eastern Europe". In order to realise the policy pursued in the South Europe (but that will influence all the nations that are part of it), it is then fundamental: -to improve their capacity of welcoming the huge vessels that are travelling more and -more across the seas; -to equip themselves with broad spaces where to improve their logistic infrastructures; -to modernize their inner communication routes, to be capable of moving the containers by roads, railways and by 25 The NAPA organization was founded in 2010 following the idea of the President of the Port Authority of Ravenna at the time, which then left it in 2012, after the concession of a big loan for the realization of the offshore-onshore system of Venice. North Adriatic Port Association, About NAPA, available at: www.portsofnapa.com. water.
In particular, the railway corridors would develop on three routes: -the first one going from Brenner to Bologna; -the second one crossing, on one side, Klagenfurt -Udine -Venice -Trieste -Bologna -Ravenna, and, on the other side, Graz -Maribor -Ljubljana -Koper -Trieste; The goal that these five ports are following is to reach a total capacity of 6 million TEUs every year, which would mean for each of them to handle 1,5-2 million TEUs.
The Port of Koper represents the only possibility to enter the Slovenian Sea and, for this reason, it is central in the national strategy, answering to a national necessity before than an international potential. According to the plan settled by the central administration, the port wants to become a multipurpose centre, focusing on the car and container traffic, this last one already a growing sector, but aiming to reach a total capacity of 35 million of goods every year.
The port of Rijeka, in Croatia, is pursuing a double development: -on one side, it has been planned the building on Zagreb Pier of a new terminal for the movement of traffic containers. With the realization of a quayside of 680 metres, on a surface of 25 hectares, and a depth of 20 metres, it will be able to handle an annual traffic of 750.000 TEUs. In order to accelerate the circulation and increase its efficiency, the Croatian administration is working on the widening of the national railroad connected to the port, since it has always managed the 50-60% of the port traffic. The rest of it has been moved by road, so that it has been decided to add new lanes to connect the port itself to Zagreb, Split and Ljubljana. -on the other hand, the project has provided for the Adriatic Gate terminal to be widened as well. On the maritime side it will reach a further surface of 5 hectares, and, on the land Source: www.railwaypro.com Figure 4 Greece ports hub Slika 4. Čvorište grčkih luka part, it will be broadened for a whole surface of 17 hectares. The plan will improve the structures part of the port itself, such as the warehouses for the storage of the products, another closed storehouse for the turnaround of the goods, and the car park in front of the area. In addition, it will be built a railway terminal for the transportation of the goods to and from the port. In the process of improving and modernizing the port area and the routes connected to it, China has entered through the interests showed by the state-owned COSCO. The Chinese partnership would be extremely important for the Croatian government, especially after the worsening of the relationships with Hungary over the refugees' crisis, which has pushed it to look for new investors.
The port of Ravenna has been working for the strengthening of its logistical capacity and the developing of its multipurpose logistic system. According to the plan, the port will be provided with a new container terminal, which will require: -two channels that will be realized with a depth of 11,50 and 12,50 metres; -a pier 1000 metres longer, and a floor deep 14,50 metres, so to reach a volume of 600.000 TEUs per year; -the development of the cruise terminal; -the improvement of the railway system and of the river routes, with the widening of these last ones. After the realization of the project, the inner water ways will handle touristic and commercial traffic, and not only touristic as it was happening before. Also Ravenna has been trying to increase its international attractiveness. It has already been interested in recent times by foreign investments, with the financing of the American company Bunge, but it is now looking for a further support. The same administration has declared to be focusing on the improvement of the port image as a desirable territory for international investors, focusing on its quality and innovation. The international interests, and Chinese in particular, have been high also on the other two ports that will be part of the multipurpose gateway.
In Trieste, the port administration has been planned to pursue the realization of a logistical platform to handle a major quantity of containers and to increase the port offer through the enlargement of its piers, the building of new container and RO-RO terminals. The current land use was approved in 2015, after six years of discussion, going to substitute the previous one, implemented since 1957; the plan is now attending for a last approval by the region to be operative, after the signature of a draft agreement. According to the plan, the port is expected to be improved in its infrastructures, widening its functions and its spaces, in order to take part in a wider logistical system. The port of Trieste has also attracted the national attention for having been the first maritime area in Italy to adopt the SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) and the EA (Environmental Assessment) procedures, generally introduced in port areas. Both of them are addressed to the protection of the environment and the value of a low environmental impact in the modernization of ports.

CONCLUSION / Zaključak
China's Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiative aims to connect Asia, Africa, Europe, and their near seas. The Belt and Road Initiative, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in particular, have been launched for more than five years by now. Maritime Silk Road is a regional cooperative regime and it will provide public goods for regional countries. 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road is a process of co-building, sharing and opening. Co-building of 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road means regional countries share the responsibilities of providing public goods while China as a big country may provide bigger share for the public goods and sharing the public goods by the regional countries. As an open regime, 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road welcomes other countries to join the "club" to share the responsibilities and obligation. China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road has been supported by a large number of investors, from national companies and banks, to the governments of the Countries where Beijing has invested, but it has been promoted firstly by the New Development Bank, the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The Maritime Silk Road has been helping to ameliorate a large number of ports, signing numerous deals, from East Asia to the high Adriatic sea, and other dialogues have been started all along the worldwide shores. 21st Century Maritime Silk Road represents for China a significant opportunity, and the number of agreements related to it is growth, as the dialogue with the potential partners.