China s breakneck economic growth in the last decades has established the country as a great power of the first rank in the international system. Even with a slowdown in the rate of growth, it is widely believed that China will soon become the largest economy in the world. History suggests that China s economic rise will be followed by its political and military rise as well. According to the theory of offensive realism, China will seek to broaden its sphere of influence as it tries to establish a regional hegemony. This dissertation will defend that the One Belt, One Road initiative (OBOR) is the main tool at Beijing s disposal for the establishment of Chinese hegemony over Eurasia. By investing in infrastructure throughout the great landmass, China will create a land and sea transport network that will guarantee the country access to Eurasia s main trade and energy routes, reducing China s vulnerability with regards to the outflow of its exports and to the inflow of raw materials. The argument here presented is that the OBOR is a two-pronged strategy, simultaneously based on the theories of land power and sea power, according to the teachings of Halford J. Mackinder and Alfred T. Mahan, respectively. Lastly, the position of the United States, the main defenders of the present-day distribution of power, and those of the great powers that neighbor China will be analyzed, given that the continued expansion of China s international interests is creating tensions still far from being resolved, particularly in Central Asia, the South China Sea and the East China Sea.