Published on: 26 April 2019

As the world’s largest economy for the third consecutive year with USD 23.160 trillion of GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) for the year 2017, which by itself makes more than 18% of the globe economic output, combined with a continues positive trade balance over time, triggered by USD 2,263,371 million of experts versus USD 1,843,793 million of imports in that particular year, the Chinese dragon rise looks non-stoppable with a country growth of 2.43, that profoundly exceeded the world growth rate by 0.93 as depicted in the following graphs. Such stunning figures imply strategic thinking and relentless efforts perfectly put behind the scene by the Chinese for that rocketing rise.

Comparing those graphs of China with their peers of the United States of America would clearly envisage how substantially those dominant economic players are positioned before the global economy, with a large continues negative trade balance of the United States accompanied with a lower country and GDP growth rates versus the world growth rate.

Adding the historical Silk Road that unveiled to born again by the Chinese leader Mr. Xi Jinping initiative: “The Silk Road Economic Belt and 21St Century Maritime Silk Road”; the future economic portrait of our globe looks more Chinese than ever been. 

This initiative, which has been commonly known as “The Belt and Road initiative (BRI)” or “The One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative”, tremendously expands the original Silk Road. The OBOR tends to integrate more than 65 countries, which include over 62% of the world’s population, 75% of the known energy reserves, and 40% of the globe GDP as of 2017 into the largest infrastructure and developmental planned investment that is expected to boost the Asia pacific countries growth in an unprecedented manner. 

Unlike the seven century ancient Silk Road, the new version will link the three continentals through three land based corridors (The belt), which link Europe and the Middle East to China through Central Asia; added to other three sea based corridors (The road), which link China, South East Asia, India and Africa together.

This initiative is tended to be the largest infrastructure project in the history with as large as USD 900 billion in planned investment and the announced commitment of prominent stakeholders and states to that project, similar to the World Bank group that committed itself for USD 80 billion in infrastructure projects in the Belt and Road countries.

All of that would not only promote a smooth trade, financial integration and facilities connectivity amongst Asia, Europe and Africa but also policy coordination and people connectivity.

In spite of the fact that the changes in the geopolitical scene in the Middle East had always played an essential role in the stability of this part of the world’s economies. Nevertheless, the Middle East countries are naturally sitting among those countries of the Silk Road belt, which would intuitively lighten the potential of our Middle East markets’ for an accelerated growth in the near future.

Simultaneously that opportunity will undoubtedly question our readiness to integrate in and to contribute to this historic infrastructure plan in the shadow of all the conflicts around, and will compellingly challenge our capabilities to cope with the coming Chinese leadership to the region, an era that is materializing indeed!

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