Brazil and China's Digital Silk Road: Opportunities, Risks, and Strategic Implications

Flávio Bastos da Silva and Paulo Afonso B. Duarte

Global Policy, 2025, vol. 16, issue 4, 655-668

Abstract: Given the scarce studies on the security issues raised by the Digital Silk Road (DSR), we aim to add novelty regarding the repercussions of this dimension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by focusing on the case of Brazil. As a major Latin American nation with strong ties to China, Brazil is an extraordinary case study when it comes to assessing the effects of any BRI‐related dimension. Despite Brazil's reluctance in officially joining the BRI, Brazil became part of the DSR after signing a Memorandum on the Digital Economy with China in 2023. By claiming that traditional liberal frameworks are insufficient to grasp the complexities of the digital space, we propose that the DSR is best approached through the lenses of Digitalpolitik. Based on a qualitative methodology complemented by an online survey and pre‐selected interviews, we find that the initiative strengthens Brazil's digital ecosystem but poses security risks to its digital sovereignty.

Date: 2025
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