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be funneled into friendly nations’ economic and infrastructural projects with little
intent refers to the ideological, even symbolically. Since the beginning of 2013,
President Xi Jinping has made much of the scheme’s potential to spark reformoriented development within China. Jinping has further accelerated the liberal economic model first adopted by the country toward the end of the 1970s as supported
by a communist political hegemony. The challenge for his leadership will be to go
ahead with the major expenditure outlined in such projects as the Silk Road while
maintaining domestic growth (www.aa.com.tr 2017).
The developing network of economic corridors, freight highways, ports, logistical routes, and manufacturing centers which stretch from China to Europe as a part
of the New Silk Road is founded on the promise of companies and countries working together in their own economic interests (www.forbes.com 2017a, b). Ben
Simpfendorfer believes that China’s New Silk Road Strategy simply aims to reduce
US influence in the region. “I would also argue against seeing the Belt and Road
policy as a deliberate policy initiative to counter US influence in the region. It is
better viewed as a refocusing of China’s commercial ties on more important neighboring Asian countries, rather than countries in Africa and Latin America where
Chinese companies have been actively seeking resources over the past 15 years. To
this end, it is a natural result of Asia’s growing commercial power. And China naturally wants to make sure it plays a leading role in the region’s rise” (Author’s interview with Ben Simpfendorfer 2017).
According to China’s New Silk Road strategy map, the route begins in Xian
province in Central China, sweeping west through Lanzhou (Gansu Province),
Urumqi (Xinjiang), and Khoras (Xinjiang) to the Kazakhstan-China border. The
Silk Road then runs southwest through Central Asia to Northern Iran, heading west
via Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. From Istanbul, the Silk Road crosses the Bosporus Strait
and heads northwest over Europe, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania,
and Germany. From the German city of Duisburg, the route projects north to
Rotterdam in the Netherlands, taking the maritime route around the western shores
of the continent to Venice, where it joins with the equally precisely plotted Maritime
Silk Road (www.thediplomat.com 2017a, b).
Regarding the potential economic advantages, the New Silk Road idea holds for
China, Shannon Tiezzi believes that the country will actively use boosted trading
activities as a platform for developing closer political and cultural ties with each
country along the way, resulting in a new model of “mutual respect and mutual
trust.” The planned Silk Road will create not only an economic trade route, but also
a community with “common interests, fate, and responsibilities.” The Silk Road
represents China’s vision for an interdependent economic and political community
sweeping from East Asia to Western Europe, and it is clear that China believes these
principles will be the guiding force of a new community. “China’s wisdom in building an open world economy and open international relations is being drawn on more
and more each day” (www.thediplomat.com 2017a, b).
Wang Zhi rather more highlights the strategy’s aims at creating an overland route
to consumer markets for Chinese goods in Europe in order to boost revenue and
Regional Security and Economic Organization and Projects
be funneled into friendly nations’ economic and infrastructural projects with little
intent refers to the ideological, even symbolically. Since the beginning of 2013,
President Xi Jinping has made much of the scheme’s potential to spark reformoriented development within China. Jinping has further accelerated the liberal economic model first adopted by the country toward the end of the 1970s as supported
by a communist political hegemony. The challenge for his leadership will be to go
ahead with the major expenditure outlined in such projects as the Silk Road while
maintaining domestic growth (www.aa.com.tr 2017).
The developing network of economic corridors, freight highways, ports, logistical routes, and manufacturing centers which stretch from China to Europe as a part
of the New Silk Road is founded on the promise of companies and countries working together in their own economic interests (www.forbes.com 2017a, b). Ben
Simpfendorfer believes that China’s New Silk Road Strategy simply aims to reduce
US influence in the region. “I would also argue against seeing the Belt and Road
policy as a deliberate policy initiative to counter US influence in the region. It is
better viewed as a refocusing of China’s commercial ties on more important neighboring Asian countries, rather than countries in Africa and Latin America where
Chinese companies have been actively seeking resources over the past 15 years. To
this end, it is a natural result of Asia’s growing commercial power. And China naturally wants to make sure it plays a leading role in the region’s rise” (Author’s interview with Ben Simpfendorfer 2017).
According to China’s New Silk Road strategy map, the route begins in Xian
province in Central China, sweeping west through Lanzhou (Gansu Province),
Urumqi (Xinjiang), and Khoras (Xinjiang) to the Kazakhstan-China border. The
Silk Road then runs southwest through Central Asia to Northern Iran, heading west
via Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. From Istanbul, the Silk Road crosses the Bosporus Strait
and heads northwest over Europe, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania,
and Germany. From the German city of Duisburg, the route projects north to
Rotterdam in the Netherlands, taking the maritime route around the western shores
of the continent to Venice, where it joins with the equally precisely plotted Maritime
Silk Road (www.thediplomat.com 2017a, b).
Regarding the potential economic advantages, the New Silk Road idea holds for
China, Shannon Tiezzi believes that the country will actively use boosted trading
activities as a platform for developing closer political and cultural ties with each
country along the way, resulting in a new model of “mutual respect and mutual
trust.” The planned Silk Road will create not only an economic trade route, but also
a community with “common interests, fate, and responsibilities.” The Silk Road
represents China’s vision for an interdependent economic and political community
sweeping from East Asia to Western Europe, and it is clear that China believes these
principles will be the guiding force of a new community. “China’s wisdom in building an open world economy and open international relations is being drawn on more
and more each day” (www.thediplomat.com 2017a, b).
Wang Zhi rather more highlights the strategy’s aims at creating an overland route
to consumer markets for Chinese goods in Europe in order to boost revenue and
Regional Security and Economic Organization and Projects