The enlarged Mediterranean, China’s centripetal imperialism, and the case study of the Balkans

Understanding china’s presence in the Mediterranean can only start by bearing in mind the peculiarity of the region, given its political, cultural, and economic divisions. considering Westerners’ failures based on the theory of the Greater Middle east, we would rather support the concept of an enlarged Mediterranean and analyse it in its various facets. After discussing the main scholarly positions on the topic, we propose an interpretation of china’s impact in the region by introducing the concept of centripetal imperialism: pushed by geopolitical reality to project itself beyond its borders, Beijing is ready to offer its capitals in exchange for a penetration that, despite its neo-colonial aspect, does not seek to impose a predetermined political and cultural formula. We then support our view by analysing the case study of the Balkans, which seems to confirm that chinese investments are primarily driven by economic interests (with problems caused more by planning mistakes rather than by malevolent intentions) and that the dragon intervenes in the internal affairs of the recipient countries only if strategically necessary.