Advertisement
Belt and Road Initiative
OpinionComment

Belt and Road points the way to a 21st-century Renaissance, if China stays true to its vision

Da Hsuan Feng believes the deep cultural engagement premised in Beijing’s grand vision could not only transform the inward-looking Chinese mindset, but also give birth to new thinking on the global stage

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Da Hsuan Feng believes the deep cultural engagement premised in Beijing’s grand vision could not only transform the inward-looking Chinese mindset, but also give birth to new thinking on the global stage
Da Hsuan Feng
While creating economic and cultural well-being through the Belt and Road is exciting for the world, the implications of the initiative could be more profound. Illustration: Craig Stephens
While creating economic and cultural well-being through the Belt and Road is exciting for the world, the implications of the initiative could be more profound. Illustration: Craig Stephens
In September 2013, President Xi Jinping ( 習近平 ) announced China’s “One Belt, One Road” global initiative. In the three years since, the Belt and Road has certainly captured worldwide attention, if not curiosity.
As soon as one reads about the scheme on the official Chinese website, it is natural to link it to the ancient Silk Road, be it land-based (Belt) or maritime-based (Road). It immediately brings up a very intriguing question: What is the fundamental difference between the Silk Road and the Belt and Road?

As is well known, the Silk Road grew organically, with no single person or nation initiating it. Although it allowed merchants from the West to go to China to do business, and vice versa, I think it is safe to surmise that the traffic was more from West to East than the other way around. One interesting result was that during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1126), there was a flourishing Jewish community in Bianjing, now Kaifeng (開封) in Henan (河南) province. The Jews undoubtedly came along the ancient Silk Road to do business and eventually settled in Bianjing.

Visitors look at paintings on display at the “Impressions on the Silk Road” exhibition in Yinchuan, capital city of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua
Visitors look at paintings on display at the “Impressions on the Silk Road” exhibition in Yinchuan, capital city of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua

How China has gone from panda diplomacy to New Silk Road smart power

While the Silk Road managed to bring Western businesses into China, it did not create a demand within China to profoundly appreciate and understand other cultures and civilisations. Indeed, the name China, or Zhongguo, means Central Nation. Being inward-looking is a centuries-old Chinese mindset.

There is genuine recognition that deep cultural engagement seems to be one of the first, if not the first, steps China needs to take
Advertisement