Among project consequences for Russia we can note the following. The participation in the project “One belt – one road” can lead to the integration of the Russian transport system into the transport and logistics network of the Eurasian region, which will open up opportunities for transit and provision of related logistics services and access to the markets of the region36.
Of particular importance within the framework of the project is an interaction of our countries in the field of modernization of poorly developed regions of Siberia and the Far East, which need modern infrastructure and investment. As a concern, we can note a decrease of interest in the TRANS-Siberian and Far Eastern directions. The fact is that the route through Kazakhstan is beneficial for China both in terms of tariff rates and time. At present 10 of the 14 routes China–Russia are passing through Kazakhstan37.
The second advantage is a strengthening of industrial cooperation between the countries, the possibility of forming production clusters. The third plus of the Russian participation in the project “One belt – one road” is a possibility of pairing the Eurasian economic Union and the «One belt – one road» and turning it into a new center of economic and political development at the global level. However, it is worth noting that China is mainly focused on the development of the bilateral relations with each member of the Union individually.
Lately China is accused of opacity and often enslaving terms of agreements, unfair choice of contractors, failure to meet deadlines, untimely provision of promised loans, construction of «white elephants», and damage to the environment. Thus, according to China Global Energy Finance database in 2018 the share of «coal» projects in the project “One belt – one road” was 42%38.
Beijing is also accused of pumping the developing economies involved in the project with loans and debts. The West has even coined a new term – «debt trap diplomacy». In 2019 at the international cooperation forum “One belt – one road” in Beijing the Chinese President promised to become more open to Western investors. China assures the countries that the project has only an economic orientation; however, it is clear for everybody that by increasing economic power the country will gain geopolitical influence