Following the right footsteps

The leitmotif of President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe in March was to develop China's Silk Road economic ties.

The history of the Silk Road dates back over 2,000 years - an ancient trade route from eastern China to Constantinople in Turkey with links to Italy and France.

The trade of silk, chinaware, spices and leather, among many goods, as well as cultural communication and the movement of labor, promoted a strong and rich economic zone along the route between 100 BC and the 10th century.