China Is Giving Ancient Silk Road Trade Routes a Digital Makeover

By Leigh Wedell as featured on Global Trade Magazine

The New Silk Road is Paved by Bits and Bytes

In 2015, China launched its Digital Silk Road (DSR) initiative. The DSR is the digital backbone for China’s modern reconstruction of the ancient silk trade routes. Against the backdrop of heightened U.S.-China tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSR is how China is creating new trade ecosystems and deepening its trade relations across the developing world.

The pandemic has propelled us all faster toward a digital world as we adapt to distance learning, working from home, telehealth, and online shopping, putting technology at the center of economic life.

The pandemic has also shone a spotlight on reliance on China for imports of critical products like personal protective equipment and pharmaceuticals.