The Mesmerizing Journey from Gyeongju to Lisbon: The BRI as a Mechanism of De-bordering, Re-bordering, and Co-bordering

This paper argues that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a de-bordering mechanism makes a positive contribution to border security. Three central concepts—de-bordering, re-bordering and co-bordering—are used to examine the future of borders, and further develop the notion of the “cycle” of borders. This research adopts a political science perspective and combines the theory of borders with the Copenhagen School and Paris School of security, bearing in mind the BRI as an access strategy. Furthermore, the BRI elements of connectivity are central to de-bordering. Finally, this paper maintains that the BRI makes different contributions to border security, that borders are “alive”, and that they are the result of cooperative or antagonistic human interactions in which asymmetry in perception is the leading cause of conflict.