The Belt and Road Initiative: Geopolitical Expansion and Institutional Instability in the DRC and Sri Lanka

Author

• Saki Tanjo, CUNY City CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Department

International Relations

First Advisor

Mario Baez

Second Advisor

Jean Krasno

Keywords

China, BRI, Geopolitical influence, International Political Economic, Strategic Autonomy, Exploitation

Abstract

This study examines how large‑scale Chinese investment in resource‑rich and strategically located states, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sri Lanka, generates domestic and geopolitical instability. Despite their distinct regional and historical contexts, both countries exhibit structural vulnerabilities that allow external actors to reshape their political and economic trajectories. In the DRC, Chinese initiatives leverage abundant mineral resources and a highly centralized executive structure, reinforcing weak institutional oversight. In Sri Lanka, financial fragility and geopolitical ambition enabled China to acquire strategic territorial influence, illustrating how external financing can erode strategic autonomy and intensify great‑power competition. These dynamics reflect a broader shift in the future of International Political Economy, where a more Beijing‑centric distribution of power and deeper polarization of the international system are likely to intensify. As realist dynamics expand globally, states face increasing pressure from hard‑power competition, reshaping the constraints and possibilities of global governance.

Comments

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAHPTER Ⅰ： INTRODUCTION -Statement of Overall Topic; the Thesis and Its Place in the Overall Debate, Hypothesis and Literature

CHAPTER Ⅱ: Theoretical Framework

CHAPTER Ⅲ: Methodology

CHAPTER IV: The Belt and Road Paradox: Internal Chinese Pressures and the Divergent Destinies of the DRC and Sri Lanka

CHAPTER V: Case Study-Cobalt mining investment in DRC

CHAPTER VI: The Hambantota Port development in Sri Lanka CHAPTER

CHAPTER VII: Conclusion and Policy Implications for the Future

Recommended Citation

Tanjo, Saki, "The Belt and Road Initiative: Geopolitical Expansion and Institutional Instability in the DRC and Sri Lanka" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1316