A maritime Silk Road to peaceful seas

Westerners may better remember the ancient terrestrial Silk Road, but a magnificent Chinese fleet, led by legendary explorer Zheng He reached East Africa as early as the 15th century. Six centuries later China and its companies are building up the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (as part of the Belt and Road Initiative). With ports, railroads and related economic activities, the maritime route will complement the land infrastructure along the Silk Road Economic Belt, which will connect Asia with Europe and Africa. What are the maritime route's main advantages and characteristics?

First, it can boost trade and economic activity in one of the world's most dynamic and at the same time most problematic regions. Chinese companies are engaged in a string of ports from Southeast Asia to Venice, including Colombo in Sri Lanka, Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan, Port Said in Egypt, Kumport in Turkey, and Piraeus in Greece.

Ports bolster trade, industries and businesses in general. Colombo's City Port is a major project at India's gates, with developments both in trade and finance (including an International Financial Center). Port Said and Kumport have crucial strategic importance. Piraeus in Athens, on the other hand, had a throughput of about 1.5 million 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) before China Ocean Shipping Company gradually took it over in the 2010s. Now its throughput is about 3.5 million TEU, which is in sharp contrast to Greece's financial figures.