China's 'Digital Silk Road' Enters the Western Balkans

Download or read book China's 'Digital Silk Road' Enters the Western Balkans written by Stefan Vladisavljev and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ‘Digital Silk Road’ (DSR) is an important component of China’s 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI), which combines the efforts of the Chinese government and the involvement of Chinese tech companies. The DSR covers a wide array of areas, ranging from telecommunications networks, to ‘Smart City’ projects, to e-commerce, to Chinese satellite navigation systems. Some countries perceive it as a vehicle for exporting the Chinese system of techno-autocratic governance that will provide crucial tools to illiberal leaders so that they may establish even more control over their citizens. This policy paper focuses on one aspect of the DSR – Chinese companies’ involvement in the rollout of 5G networks in the countries of Western Balkans. It surveys the situation on the ground in regard to acceptance of DSR by local governments and provides recommendations to stakeholders.