China and Russia’s Awkward Romance | Nov. 19, 2018, 9:16 a.m.

Washington’s shortsightedness is pushing its own competitors—the world's largest nuclear power and the second-largest economy—closer together.

Linking the Eurasian Economic Union and China’s Belt and Road | Nov. 9, 2018, 11:20 a.m.

A milestone agreement on trade and economic cooperation signed in May 2018 represents an important step forward for the relationship between the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Special Report: China's Belt and Road Initiative | Sept. 26, 2018, 8:44 a.m.

Although Beijing insists that its Belt and Road Initiative has no geopolitical motives, the project has been at the center of an increasing number of political controversies, foreign and domestic, writes the Financial Times in a Special Report, citing analyses from the Reconnecting Asia Project.

View All Analysis | Sept. 17, 2018, 8:57 a.m.

Browse our analysis section for news and articles on topics such as China's Belt and Road Initiative (OBOR), the Competing Visions of Japan, India, and other regional powers, and the stakes for U.S. policy.

BRI to Link With EAEU | Sept. 12, 2018, 10:37 a.m.

Following their meeting at the 2018 Eastern Economic Forum, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin affirmed their intention to link China's Belt and Road Initiative with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.

China, Russia Compete over Central Asia | July 11, 2018, 10:19 a.m.

China's "Ice Silk Road," which would create a shortcut between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic via the Arctic, could complicate relations with Russia as the two nations compete for influence in Central Asia, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

Mongolia Affirms BRI | June 11, 2018, 9:06 a.m.

As the Mongolian government works to build the Mongolia-Russia-China economic corridor, the country's former prime minister, Sukhbaatar Batbold, believes China's Belt and Road Initiative could help regional infrastructure, trade, and investment and accelerate economic growth.

Gaining Steam on the Eurasian Economic Union's Railways | May 9, 2018, 10:30 a.m.

Quotes and Quotas is a weekly digest of powerful phrases and facts that help explain Asia’s infrastructure push.

South Korea’s Infrastructure Vision | April 24, 2018, 10:34 a.m.

In the face of uncertainty about how the U.S. and China will respond to regional challenges, South Korea will likely continue to opt for flexible partnerships, such as with Russia, where specific interests overlap or converge.

China, Russia battle for North Pole supremacy | April 11, 2018, 9:24 a.m.

As Arctic sea ice steadily shrinks and temperatures rise, Russia and China compete for control of newly accessible natural resources and transportation routes while cooperating to finance the development of resource extraction and transportation infrastructure.

Traveling China's Economic Belt from Yiwu to London | March 22, 2018, 10:11 a.m.

The New Silk Road Project will travel 10,000 miles across China’s Economic Belt from London to Yiwu to investigate the people, projects, countries, and landscapes involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Russia and China in the Arctic | March 19, 2018, 10:46 a.m.

Quotes and Quotas is a digest of phrases and facts that help explain Asia’s infrastructure push.

The Return of Marco Polo's World | March 12, 2018, 9 a.m.

As Europe disappears, Asia coheres. The supercontinent is becoming one fluid, comprehensible unit of trade and conflict, as the Westphalian system of states weakens and older, imperial legacies – Russian, Chinese, Iranian, Turkish – become paramount.

The Rise of China-Europe Railways | March 6, 2018, 9:46 a.m.

Just 10 years ago, regular direct freight services from China to Europe did not exist. Today, they connect roughly 35 Chinese cities with 34 European cities. But despite their rapid advances, these lines must compete with maritime routes that have dominated commerce between Asia and Europe since the late fifteenth century. It remains to be seen how much trade they can capture.

Philippines To Spend $154B on Infrastructure | March 1, 2018, 9:49 a.m.

Philippines plans to spend $154 billion on infrastructure projects by 2022, including the consideration of finally bringing Southeast Asia's only nuclear reactor to life three decades after its completion.

New Infrastructure Fuels Thai-EEU Trade | Feb. 26, 2018, 10:14 a.m.

Infrastructure improvements within the Eurasian Economic Union have fueled interest in a free trade agreement between Thailand and the Russia-led bloc.

China's "Polar Silk Road" Alters Balance of Power | Feb. 16, 2018, 10:03 a.m.

China's recently-announced "Polar Silk Road" has the potential to redraw the region's geopolitical map, writes one contributor for the Nikkei Asian Review.

Abe's Russia Trip to Push Infrastructure | Feb. 5, 2018, 10:12 a.m.

The Japanese government has compiled infrastructure development scheme proposals for Vladivostok ahead of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's scheduled visit to Russia in May, Nikkei reports.

Yamal LNG Port Opens in Russian Arctic | Jan. 8, 2018, 9:36 a.m.

Russia has started shipments of LNG from the China-backed Yamal port project in Siberia.

18 Projects to Watch in 2018 | Dec. 22, 2017, 9:21 a.m.

Reconnecting Asia is tracking developments across a vast landmass that includes 60 percent of the global economy. Every day, new infrastructure projects are announced, some are advanced, and others encounter obstacles. Here is a selection of the top projects to watch in 2018.

BRI to Shape International Trade in 2018 | Dec. 1, 2017, 11:20 a.m.

The evolving nature of international trade due to China's Belt and Road Initiative will be one key trend to watch in 2018.

Trilateral Rail Project Connects Asia to Europe | Oct. 31, 2017, 10 a.m.

The inauguration of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway has opened the possibility of a southern route for trade between China and Europe.

When Russia Sold Alaska | Oct. 18, 2017, 9:33 a.m.

When the United States took possession of Alaska from Russia, 150 years ago today, it paid less than two cents an acre. So what happened to the global market for territory?

Competing Visions | Sept. 28, 2017, 1:47 p.m.

CSIS's leading regional experts discuss how the ambitious connectivity visions of regional powers across Eurasia could re-shape the future of the super-continent.

Ukraine’s Western Window | Sept. 6, 2017, 5:17 p.m.

A Reality Check for China-Russia Ties | Sept. 5, 2017, 10:29 a.m.

The Scramble for Eurasia | Aug. 22, 2017, 2:29 p.m.

The Case for a Trans-Caspian Bridge | July 11, 2017, 9 a.m.

A trans-Caspian bridge could transform the landlocked condition of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, a revolutionary change psychologically and materially.

The Struggle Behind the Trans-Siberian Railway | July 5, 2017, 9:24 a.m.

The guiding principle of the Trans-Siberian Railway was not about the routine moving of people from place-to-place, but sticking a pair of iron rods into bleak territory that had strategic importance in defining Russia’s role in the Far East.

India and Pakistan Join the Shanghai Club | June 8, 2017, 2:25 p.m.

What might have alarmed U.S. strategists during the Cold War could be cause for relief. The addition of India and Pakistan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization signals a potential shift away from military coordination and toward economic cooperation.

Modi Pushes Globalization in Europe, Russia | June 7, 2017, 9:44 a.m.

During a recent trip to Europe and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed a pro-globalization message.

Strategic Infrastructure | June 5, 2017, 10:02 a.m.

Infrastructure is often viewed as a domestic economic issue, but throughout history, key projects have also advanced national security and foreign policy objectives.

Economically Connecting the Arctic | June 1, 2017, 4:44 p.m.

If Russia and China successfully drive development to connect Asia and Europe through a northern Arctic Belt, Road, and Circle, we will know that the Arctic Age is upon us.

Arctic Maritime Connections | May 17, 2017, 9 a.m.

Profound changes are happening in the Arctic Ocean, especially the increases in marine access from sea ice retreat, but these changes do not foretell a retooling of global maritime trade routes as many speculate.

Iran's Railway Revolution | May 10, 2017, 8:55 a.m.

Better infrastructure will not make Iran's economic success inevitable, but it certainly will shape the strategic landscape in which Iran makes its future decisions.

Putin-Abe Summit Bolsters Joint Projects | April 26, 2017, 8:39 a.m.

Russia's Arctic Dreams | April 25, 2017, 9 a.m.

The fundamental problem with Russia’s developmental vision for the Arctic is that political will dominates economic rationale, and while the former is wavering and capricious, the latter is disappearing.

Russian Company Opens Ferry to N. Korea | April 19, 2017, 9:05 a.m.

China’s Exaggerated Arctic Interests | April 18, 2017, 9 a.m.

China may initially have approached the [Arctic] region with unrealistic energy expectations, but its currently cautious approach could give way to greater confidence over the long term.

Russia Discusses Connectivity, Labor with N. Korea | March 28, 2017, 9:03 a.m.

Russia and India’s Plan to Skip the Suez Canal | March 14, 2017, 9:55 a.m.

A new link in the North-South Transport Corridor connecting Russia, Iran, and India could have far-reaching implications for economic patterns between Europe and Asia.

Hyperloop on the Silk Road | Jan. 31, 2017, 9 a.m.

A Hunchun-Zarubino Hyperloop would propel Russia to the forefront of transport innovation and could be the first step toward the twenty-first century Silk Road.

Japan and Russia Expand Economic Ties | Jan. 5, 2017, 12:05 a.m.

Japan and Russia are stepping up cooperation after a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Among the items for further discussion in 2017 are multilateral economic alliances and partnerships with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Addressing Strategic Insecurity In a Turbulent Age | Jan. 3, 2017, 9 a.m.

China’s strategic penetration of Central Asia in order to gain direct commercial access to Europe is already prompting a significant reduction of Russia’s economic domination of the eastern portion of the former Soviet Union.

17 Projects to Watch in 2017 | Dec. 21, 2016, 9 a.m.

A selection of the top projects we’re watching this year.

8 Takeaways from the Putin-Abe Summit | Dec. 21, 2016, 9 a.m.

Eight facts that help make sense of the recent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Japan and Russia Announce $847m Fund | Dec. 17, 2016, 12:05 a.m.

Ukraine's Frozen Conflict | Dec. 16, 2016, 11:43 a.m.

Infrastructure in Ukraine’s Donbass is desperately in need of repair and restoration as fighting in the region goes on, but patterns of infrastructure investment suggest the conflict will not end soon.

Industry Primed for Japan-Russia Summit | Dec. 15, 2016, 12:05 a.m.

To End a World War | Dec. 14, 2016, 3:21 p.m.

It would be a mistake to judge this month’s summit solely on whether a grand bargain is reached. Given the perfect storm that Abe and Putin confront, a better gauge of success is whether they can continue building a foundation for peace.