One Belt One Road From the Geopolitical Point of View

Western geopolitical studies have evolved over a hundred years, forming a systematic and authoritative classical geopolitical theory, providing a set of thought models and epistemological frameworks related to geopolitics, that is, "Western geopolitical imagination." Affected by this, contemporary western geopolitical elites will have two kinds of habitual thinking when interpreting China’s “OBOR” Initiative: the first is the historical analogy, by comparing China with the rising powers in history; the second is the common sense, by imagining that China will imitate itself pursuit of expansion and hegemony. This article critiques the cognitive foundations of traditional western geopolitical theories, and points out that neither the “OBOR” Initiative pursues power and control, nor follow the “state-centrism” path, nor take the perspective of the “dichotomy” of land and sea confrontation. It is an attempt to transcend traditional geopolitical thinking.