HARMONISE- China’s infrastructure development in Europe from a human rights perspective: The cases of Italy and Ukraine
The project at a glance
About
China is playing an increasingly significant role in global affairs: rebalancing the international political and economic order and promoting a “shift in global power to the East”. Together with China’s development reorientation, one of the most peculiar traits of this rebalancing has been China’s move from a human rights pariah state to an active participant and shaper of global human rights governance. China has successfully moved from being simply “the world’s factory” to becoming an active participant and shaper of the global and European economy, among others; advancing its economic development models and striving to build an economic system satisfying its financial and political ambitions. In the process of China’s economic norm-making and development reorientation, Europe is playing an increasingly important role. In 2013 Europe became the second largest recipient of Chinese investments, most of which came through the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Thanks to Chinese investments, many European countries have received new development opportunities. The research seeks to analyse the interplay between mega-infrastructure projects and human rights by looking at modern Chinese infrastructure development in Europe from the human rights perspective, focusing in particular on the transformation of the Chinese approaches to human rights in foreign policy. This will be done, in particular through case studies of Italy and Ukraine: two European countries actively involved in Chinese infrastructure development.
Organisation and Partners
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF)
Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS)