CityU academic works featured as chapters in international relations monograph, explore interactions between Portuguese-speaking countries and China’s foreign policies
“Portugal and the Lusophone World,” published by leading journal publisher Palgrave Macmillan, includes three chapters contributed by Professor Francisco José B. S. Leandro, Associate Dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries; Dr. Li Yichao, a CityU graduate currently pursuing a post-doctoral program at the University Institute of Lisbon; and Dr. Pedro Paulo dos Santos, a graduate and also former lecturer at CityU. These chapters provide international readers with insights into ongoing debates about the Lusophone world, including its relation to Macao’s role as an exchange platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as China’s foreign policies in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative.
“The Spatial Development Initiatives: The Case of African Portuguese Speaking Countries” co-authored by Associate Dean Francisco Leandro and Dr. Li Yichao uses Spatial Development Initiatives (SDIs) to identify the relevance of African Portuguese Speaking Countries (APSCs) to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. SDIs integrate investments in access and logistic infrastructure for regional economic integration. As they described, “this chapter analyzes China’s investment plans in Africa within a geo-economic analysis with regional perspectives, examining Lusophony, regional economic communities, and national development plans.” It explores how B&RI contributes to designing the APSCs’ regional economic space.
“The Geopolitics of Timor-Leste: Belt & Road Initiative (B&RI), ASEAN and CPLP,” co-authored by Associate Dean Francisco Leandro and two research fellows, explores the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Timor-Leste’s complex geopolitical status, considering relationships with the Maritime Silk Road strategy, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), and Timor-Leste’s national development plan and investment projects. The chapter also examines Timor-Leste’s vital interests and potential economic security options in the context of future ASEAN accession and regional partnerships. It concludes by discussing Timor-Leste’s position as a young sovereign island state and CPLP member, located between two regional powers.
“The Role of Forum Macao in the People’s Republic of China Foreign Policy” authored by Dr. Pedro Paulo dos Santos focuses on the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), known as Forum Macao, established in the Macao in 2003. He highlights the crucial role of such mechanisms in promoting economic investment, diplomatic relationships, cultural exchanges, and geopolitical influence in targeted regions. Using the Chinese Leadership Theory framework, the study examines Forum Macao’s purpose and roles in China’s foreign policy, with consideration of the importance of Portuguese-speaking countries to the PRC, and analyzes its documentation. Dr. Santos notes the limited research on Forum Macao’s impact on Luso-Chinese relations and encourages more academic works to enhance understanding of its function.
Each chapter of the monograph undergoes rigorous peer review and meets the highest standards for content and production quality. For more details of the monograph, please visit https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-99-0455-6. Palgrave Macmillan, as part of Springer Nature, has a strong academic reputation as a dynamic publisher of journals for research across the humanities, social sciences, and business.
