ABSTRACT
Geopolitics can be conceived of as an exercise in the peaceful use of military power; it is the stuff of the ‘grand chessboard’, of tectonic power shifts, the art of the long view. The long-standing perceived importance of military power in the international order, and hence of geopolitics, went into eclipse with the passing of the superpower stalemate at the end of the Cold War. The centrepiece of Xi’s vision for Asian order is the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure-development programme covering transport, energy and communications. There is debate over whether the BRI is motivated primarily by a desire for Chinese dominance over Asia or by domestic determinants. ASEAN has been relatively slow to join the contest to define Asia’s new security order, largely because of its consensus-style approach, which requires unanimity before decisions are taken.
