It Is in Europe’s Interest To Join New Silk Road

“For Europe, China offers the opportunity to magnify effect — Europe’s economic and political force is substantial, but when bolstered by Chinese capacity and means, becomes an even more substantial force…As well as the $40 billion Silk Road Fund, there is the nascent Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the slowly developing BRICS [New Development] Bank, and the sometimes talked-of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Development Bank. And China has continued to sign massive bilateral deals in countries along the route, with a particular focus in Central Asia. Admittedly, some of this money is hyperbole around official high-level visits, but go on the ground across the region and it is impossible to deny the presence of the Chinese funding — tangible as it is in roads, pipelines, railway projects, energy infrastructure, and construction across the region.”  

 “There is also a larger political point to be made here about China’s relationship with the European Union…The EU has long sought to find ways to engage with China in a productive manner — Central Asia and the larger Silk Road Economic Belt offers an opportunity to work with China on something that is of direct interest to Europe, but also is clearly a strong strategic priority from the very top of Xi Jinping’s administration. For Beijing, Europe is the other end of the Silk Road — Europe needs to seize this opportunity to help advance its own interests.”