The Invisible Silk Road: Enter the Digital Dragon (May 2018)

 

Discussions around the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) tend to focus on its tangible aspects; primarily related to physical infrastructure including roads, rail and power plants. However, in addition to the two tangible “Silk Roads” – the Silk Road Economic Belt (land route) and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (sea route), a third “Silk Road” was also proclaimed in 2015. The “Information Silk Road”, since rebranded as the Digital Silk Road (DSR), aims to “improve international communications connectivity” and foster the internationalisation of China’s rapidly growing tech companies.

Grzegorz Stec is an Associate Researcher at the European Institute for Asian Studies. Mr Stec is also the founder of https://beltandroad.blog/, a blog devoted to all aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Photo Credit: reatimes.vn