New Pathways of Integration in Eurasia: A Study of Cooperative Synergies between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 International Relations Department, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University

10.22034/ca.2025.2061707.1890
Abstract
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents a novel and distinct paradigm from the post-World War II Atlanticist strategy, emphasizing sustainable development, economic connectivity, and multilateral cooperation, positioning itself as an alternative to security-centered approaches within Eurasia’s geopolitical order. This article examines the question of what goals, functions, and implications the integration of the BRI with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)—as two major non-Western regional integration projects led by China and Russia—entails for emerging Eurasian regionalism. A comparative analysis of these two initiatives reveals that although each has its own institutional logic and strategic framework, their convergence can provide an effective platform to enhance economic, security, and institutional cooperation in Eurasia and serve as a foundation for the transition towards a multipolar global order. The findings indicate that this integration not only strengthens economic and infrastructural convergence but also encompasses elements for redefining the international order, countering Western unilateralism, and shaping an economic security architecture across Greater Eurasia. Utilizing a historical-comparative methodology and relying on library and online data sources, this article seeks to elucidate the logic behind the integration of these two initiatives and how it influences the emerging economic-political structures in Eurasia, as well as the mechanisms for consolidating a multipolar global order. The study primarily focuses on analyzing the objectives, prospects, and prerequisites of multilateral relations between China and the member states of the EAEU.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 January 2026