TY - JOUR
T1 - China-backed infrastructure in the Global South
T2 - Lessons from the case of the Brazil–Peru Transcontinental Railway project
AU - Dourado, Leolino
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Global South Ltd.
PY - 2022/12/27
Y1 - 2022/12/27
N2 - In the past decade, infrastructure has become a key area of cooperation between China and the Global South. Among the cooperation initiatives, numerous cases have experienced shortcomings or have failed. Notwithstanding some efforts, the reasons why still need to be better understood. To contribute to further illuminating this issue, the present study examines approximately 2000 pages of previously undisclosed documents of one of the most ambitious projects China has been involved in, namely the Brazil–Peru Transcontinental Railway project. The main events of this case are reconstructed to explain why the Brazil–China–Peru cooperation failed to achieve its objective of producing a basic feasibility study acceptable to these three countries. It finds that the main causes were: (1) the clash between Chinese and Brazilian interests; (2) the use of poor quality standards for the development of the basic feasibility study; and (3) the Peruvian abandonment of the initiative. Therefore, this case study draws attention to the importance of accounting for and trying to conciliate all partners’ interests; it also suggests that relevant Chinese actors may need to improve their planning and feasibility studies quality standards; and, finally, it highlights the consequential role of institutional and technical capacity in host countries.
AB - In the past decade, infrastructure has become a key area of cooperation between China and the Global South. Among the cooperation initiatives, numerous cases have experienced shortcomings or have failed. Notwithstanding some efforts, the reasons why still need to be better understood. To contribute to further illuminating this issue, the present study examines approximately 2000 pages of previously undisclosed documents of one of the most ambitious projects China has been involved in, namely the Brazil–Peru Transcontinental Railway project. The main events of this case are reconstructed to explain why the Brazil–China–Peru cooperation failed to achieve its objective of producing a basic feasibility study acceptable to these three countries. It finds that the main causes were: (1) the clash between Chinese and Brazilian interests; (2) the use of poor quality standards for the development of the basic feasibility study; and (3) the Peruvian abandonment of the initiative. Therefore, this case study draws attention to the importance of accounting for and trying to conciliate all partners’ interests; it also suggests that relevant Chinese actors may need to improve their planning and feasibility studies quality standards; and, finally, it highlights the consequential role of institutional and technical capacity in host countries.
KW - aid effectiveness
KW - China
KW - China-backed infrastructure
KW - development cooperation effectiveness
KW - South–South cooperation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144856213&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/5b0ad466-b8e9-3e83-9581-3bb26952c46a/
U2 - 10.1080/01436597.2022.2154204
DO - 10.1080/01436597.2022.2154204
M3 - Artículo de revista
AN - SCOPUS:85144856213
SN - 0143-6597
JO - Third World Quarterly
JF - Third World Quarterly
ER -