Since the rise of Europe’s colonial powers in the sixteenth century, Asia’s economic activity has been concentrated on its coastlines. But that could change as China, Japan, Russia and other regional powers connect Asia internally and with Europe by reaching across the Eurasian landmass.
The news is full these days of “historic” train links between China and Europe. The latest locomotive to grab headlines was a China-Europe freight train that set off from eastern China this month. Earlier this year, the first direct freight train linking China and the United Kingdom arrived in London. But these powerful symbols aren’t always what they seem. A closer look cautions against declaring that the Silk Road is back in business.
The Panama Canal began with coercion, was built at tremendous human and economic cost, and for decades operated with little benefit to locals. In many ways, Panama’s experience last century underscores the risks for developing countries of pursuing megaprojects with this century’s rising power: China.
It might be the world’s deadliest, least known conflict. The latest available figures from the World Health Organization show that road accidents claimed at least 1.25 million lives in 2013, more than twice the death toll from the war in Syria. Nor is the carnage confined to far-off lands. It is happening in countries from America to Australia, and increasingly, in developing Asia.
It reads like a scene from Henry Kissinger’s worst nightmare. China, Russia, and four Central Asian states gather today in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to welcome India and Pakistan into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security and economic club that excludes the United States. But what might have alarmed U.S. strategists during the Cold War could be cause for relief. The expansion signals a potential shift away from military coordination and toward economic cooperation.