In this Blog, I am trying to explain the meaning of the Belt and Road Initiative launched by China in 2013, Under 500 words. Make sure you read it and I can assure you that you will understand it thoroughly.
Silk Road
China’s Han dynasty was the first to establish the Silk Road, The aggression of China was also famous even in ancient times.
This Belt and Road initiative is inspired by the Silk Road. During ancient times, the Silk Road connected the East and West, it spanned over 6000 kilometers, and trade was smooth because of this Silk Road.
The routes for the Silk Road included:
Land Routes:
Northern Silk Road: This route stretched from China through Central Asia, skirting the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. It crossed through important cities like Xi’an, Dunhuang, Turfan, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Merv, moving towards the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Southern Silk Road: This route passed through the Gobi Desert and the Tarim Basin. It went through cities like Kashgar, Yarkand, Khotan, and Dunhuang, and then made its connectivity with the Northern Silk Road in Samarkand. As the route moved forward it connected to Persia, Mesopotamia, and Anatolia to reach Europe.
Steppe Route: This route ran through the steppes of Central Asia, north of the Tian Shan Mountains. It was helpful for trade between nomadic tribes and the more settled civilizations along the other Silk Road routes.
Maritime Routes:
South China Sea Route: This route connected China with Southeast Asia, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. India was famous for spices and exotic goods and this route was all about spices.
Indian Ocean Route: This route connected India with the Middle East and East Africa. It was important for the trade of spices, textiles, and slaves.
Red Sea Route: This route connected the Arabian Peninsula with Egypt and the Mediterranean world. It was used for transporting silk and other luxury goods from China to Europe.
Additional Routes:
Silk Roads to the north: Routes extended from China through Mongolia and Siberia, reaching the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.
Silk Roads to the south: Routes connected China with Southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka.
Belt and Road initiative
Also known as One Belt One Road, This idea was a brainchild of Xi Jinping, In 2013 he thought about recreating the Silk Road. This BRI initiative helped China to counter the dominance of USA leadership in the world. Promoting its Economic growth, it is helping China to improve its infrastructure.
The Chinese government invested over 1 Trillion dollars in this BRI, Making it one of the most expensive projects in the world.
The Chinese Government, Banks and Corporate investments are funding China for its endeavours.
However, this idea looks good, But BRI raises some geopolitical concerns and many of the countries decide to leave Chinese propaganda in BRI.
Because of a lack of transparency and enmity with the superpowers like the USA & India, This BRI is facing some fatal blows.
This BRI consists of two routes:
1. The Silk Road Economic Belt: This land-based route connects China with Central Asia, Russia, Europe, and the Middle East. It comprises several key corridors:
New Eurasian Land Bridge: Connecting China with Europe via Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, and Poland.
China-Central Asia-West Asia Corridor: Connecting China with Central Asia, West Asia, and the Mediterranean Sea.
China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor: Connecting China with Mongolia and Russia.
China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor: Connecting China with Southeast Asia.
2. The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road: This sea-based route connects China with Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean. It comprises two major branches:
South China Sea Route: Connecting China with Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, and East Africa.
Indian Ocean Route: Connecting China with India, the Middle East, and East Africa.
In addition to these two main routes, the BRI encompasses several other land and maritime routes, including:
Polar Silk Road: Connecting China with the Arctic region.
Digital Silk Road: Promoting the development of digital infrastructure and connectivity along the BRI routes.
