This timely book offers revealing insights into the changing role of China in world governance as exemplified by the Silk Road Initiative, the People's Republic's first published major initiative for external affairs. Focusing on various aspects of the Silk Road Initiative, particularly those that are largely neglected in current discussions, including culture and philosophy, finance and investment, environmental protection and social responsibility, judiciary and lawyers, the authors explore a wide range of contexts in which China's role as an emerging power in international relations and international law is examined. In the current era of ever-increasing populism, protectionism and challenges to globalization, the authors explore the Chinese philosophy underpinning Chinese norms of regional and international development. Bearing in mind the political and economic uncertainties hampering the establishment of such norms, the authors offer crucial insights into how the Silk Road Initiative could or should be developed and regulated.

¿Wenhua Shan, Introduction.- Guilherme Vasconcelos Vilaça, Strengthening the Cultural and Normative Foundations of the Belt and Road Initiative: The Co-lombo Plan, Yan Xuetong and Chinese Ancient Thought.- Nicholas Morris, Developing A Sustainable Legal System for the Belt and Road Initiative.- An-astas Vangeli, The Normative Foundations of the Belt and Road Initiative: Shared Destiny, Sovereignty, State-led Economics, Connectivity and Flexibil-ity.- Chi He, The Belt and Road Initiative as Global Public Good: Implications for International Law.- Kangle Zhang, A Tale of Ending Poverty: The new financial institutions and China's global strategy.- Daniele Brombal, Planning for a sustainable Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): An appraisal of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) environmental and social safeguards.- Shu Zhang, Developing China's Investor-State Arbitration Clause: Discussions in the context of the "Belt and Road" Initiative.- Desheng Hu, Jun Ou, Xueyue Hu, On the Environmental Responsibility of Chinese Enterprises for Their FDIs in Countries within the Belt and Road Initiative.- Yongping Xiao, Meng Yu, Some Suggestions for Improving the International Credibility of the Chinese Judiciary: A Focus on the BRI.- Tommi Yu, China's "Belt and Road Initiative" - What's in it for Law firms and Lawyers?.- Kimmo Nuotio, Epilogue.