The first train from China’s trading hub of Yiwu arrived in Tehran on 16.2.2016, signalling Iran’s firm integration in the Beijing led-Belt and Road connectivity initiative along the New Silk Road. The train ferrying 32 containers completed its 14-day journey, covering over 10,399 km, after passing through the arid landscape of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in Central Asia. The train had …
Seizing the ‘One Belt, One Road’ opportunity
The ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) initiative is likely to become the lynchpin of Chinese engagement with the world. The novel idea of ‘entity diplomacy’ argues for engaging within and across regions to secure the best interests of an entity that is necessarily larger and with interests broader than those of any sovereign. This follows from the argument of a …