The New Silk Roads
A review of

The New Silk Roads

The Present and Future of the World

Peter Frankopan (author) • Bloomsbury • 2018

Chinese Expansion, Pre-COVID-19

by David Meyer

Historian Peter Frankopan calls on his in-depth understanding of the Silk Road of ancient times to illuminate China’s efforts to build international influence and power.

Scholars have long used “Silk Roads” to refer to ancient east-west trade routes. According to historian Peter Frankopan, however, modern-day Silk Roads are more than trade networks – they’re a state of mind.

In this engaging study of global geopolitics and economics, Frankopan explains that when a Chinese billionaire buys a soccer club in England or a condo in Vancouver, he’s traveling a post-globalization version of the Silk Roads, whether in person or virtually. China, India and other emerging nations embrace this concept; the United States and Europe oppose furthering globalization.

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