China’s Belt and Road Investment projects in the Balkan countries: six years after
China’s Belt and Road Investment projects in the Balkan countries: six years after

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to understand the process of the internationalization of Chinese companies with a special focus on their energy and transport investment projects in the Balkan countries through an analysis of two periods: before and after the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). By using data from the American Enterprise Institute through descriptive statistics approach, the authors will test their hypotheses through 54 investment project examples whose individual value exceeds 100 million US$ in a period from January 2008 to December 2018. The research aims to describe the trends of Chinese investment projects in the Balkans in terms of investment volume, the sectors in which they are placed and the investment pattern. The foreign investment process is one of the crucial things for any global firm to get better results in the international business market. Through the BRI, Chinese companies have achieved this aim so far. Nevertheless, this paper will offer initial findings of those claims that can be used in the future as the primary database for upcoming research to see if types, level and field of Chinese investments remained the same in the Balkans. This research is among the first studies dealing with the analysis of Chinese investment projects in the Balkans. From a theoretical standpoint, it will fill the gaps in the literature and also show the importance and impact of Chinese investments on the Balkan’s economy, especially in sectors such as energy and transportation.

• Details
• Contents