How is China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MRSI) affecting the economy and the maritime transport of nearby countries and regions?

Globalization is the subject of much discussion. It also has a backbone: maritime transport. Maritime transport is becoming increasingly important, and whoever dominates the oceans, will probably dominate the world economy. In this domain, the main player right now is China, and on October 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to launch China's own maritime route, the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative (MSRI), which is a major component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This project is still not well known by the public, but it is frightening for many. Many criticisms of China are made, and different causes are mentioned. In this thesis we have gathered from already existing sources all the necessary information to understand the reasons for the fears and accusations towards the project, as well as analyzed this information to show how this project really affects the maritime transport and the economy of the participating countries. We have seen that the economic effects are small scale, and unfortunately these are often hindered by some proven critics. Maritime transport is quite positively affected and as for China, it is reaping a lot of benefits from this project. It will take time to be able to say whether the project is indeed a benefit in the long term for everybody. Partner countries must be extremely vigilant and responsive. Governments must be cautious in their agreements, but also in the follow-up of the projects to benefit in the long term and not to become a victim of the already numerous problems and risks related to the project.