The Nuclear Silk Road

This paper examines the emergence of the "Nuclear Silk Road" as a defining feature of contemporary geopolitics and international energy relations. It explores how China, leveraging its Belt and Road Initiative, has positioned nuclear exports as a strategic tool to contest Western and Russian influence while advancing its own technological and geopolitical objectives. Simultaneously, recipient countries are shown to be active participants, using nuclear partnerships to enhance energy security, elevate international standing, and assert strategic autonomy. The study contrasts China's export strategies—centered on the Hualong One and ACP100 reactors—with Russia's long-established, vertically integrated approach led by Rosatom. It analyzes financing mechanisms, technology transfer provisions, and regional targeting, highlighting the enduring dependencies and strategic leverage embedded in nuclear cooperation. By situating the Nuclear Silk Road within broader trends—such as the re-politicization of energy, the rise of multipolarity, and the weaponization of infrastructure—the paper illustrates the dual nature of nuclear diplomacy: a geopolitical challenge by suppliers and a vehicle for emancipation by recipients.