Building a legacy - China's new Silk Road
The glittering Kingdom of Ayutthaya was once considered the most spectacular city on earth with its wealth largely built on trade with China, other Asian countries, the Middle East and Europe, whose merchants bought and sold wares in the Siamese capital.
Some of the goods were brought from Eurasia along the ancient Silk Road, while others came by sea on what was called the Maritime Silk Road. Today the Chinese government is reviving these ancient silk routes and is investing billions in a grand scheme known as “One Belt, One Road”.
The cordial relationship between Thailand and China goes back to the Yuan dynasty, if not earlier, and this long-term friendship has served us well. Our culture today owes much to the influence from China as well as other ancient civilisations in countries such as India and Persia, and the many Chinese who came to Siam as traders and settled here, adding to the richness and prosperity of daily life.
The Sino-Thai legacy is still benefiting us today, as the Chinese who made their way here over the centuries have made a very large contribution to our economic development.
The close connection between our two countries is fostered by very close ties at the diplomatic level and Thailand will be an integral part of the transport networks that will make up the new Silk Roads.
The rail link which is being built between Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard and China through Laos is one example. This will make a major economic impact on Thailand within a few years.
China’s ambitious belt and road plan has enormous potential to boost not only the economies of China and the countries covered by it but also the global economy.
New transport networks will support trade routes that extend across more than a quarter of the world, binding countries, cities, ports and industrial centres, while new infrastructure will open up emerging markets with tremendous growth potential.
The new Silk Road is already taking shape. The world’s longest railway linking China and Germany, France and Spain has already been built. There are plans to extend routes to London, Turkey and Iran.
This is only a start however. The development of the Silk Road is expected to span decades. Beijing’s goal is to achieve US$2.5 trillion in trade among Silk Road countries by 2025.
Hundreds of years ago, the ancient Silk Road created economic and cultural connections that transformed the world. While most of us won’t live to see the future legacy of the new Silk Road, hopefully it will help pave the way for a better life for those who come after us.
