On Sunday, China began laying out its grand vision to the world for reviving the ancient Silk Road, attempting to issue in a new era where camel caravans have been replaced by cargo trains and treasure galleons replaced by freighters laden with socks and gadgets, all emanating from the Middle Kingdom.
In a 45-minute address opening the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a glossy overview of the historically-inspired "One Belt, One Road" initiative he launched back in 2013 to expand trade links between Asia, Europe, Africa and beyond. In his speech, Xi called the initiative the "project of the century" which promises to usher forth a new "golden age" of globalization.
"The glory of the ancient silk routes shows that geographical distance is not insurmountable. If we take the first courageous step towards each other, we can embark on a path leading to friendship, shared development, peace, harmony and a better future," Xi proclaimed.
In this ambitious trillion-dollar effort spanning countries and continents, Xi vowed during his speech that China would provide $125 billion of funding, $9 billion of which will go as aid to developing countries that join the global scheme.
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