The Middle East is the Hub for China’s Modern Silk Road

By Deborah Lehr as featured on Middle East Institute

For nearly 600 years, under the imperial tributary system of the Ming and Qing dynasties, foreign “barbarians” travelled to Beijing to kowtow to the emperor in order to trade with China. Reminiscent of those times, President Xi Jinping is recreating a modern version of the ancient imperial system, and it may result in a powerful challenge to U.S. interests in the Middle East and North Africa.

In May, 1,500 delegates from more than 130 nations—including 29 foreign heads of state and more than 200 ministers—met in Beijing for the biannual Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Launched in 2013, the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative aims to expand links between Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe by recreating the ancient Silk Road trade routes by land (the Belt) and sea (the Road).