The New Silk Roads: The New Asia and the Remaking of the World Order

The New Silk Road is a wonderful synopsis of civilization. Facts prove that men over the centuries have not changed and have not learned those lessons from history! Short term goals for things society needs are often overlooked as to future consequences.

Peter Frankopan is a brilliant historian, who has comprehensive understanding of the interactive nature of history. The New Silk Roads is well researched, full of interesting and important details. He recognizes the historical impact of China's contemporary restoration as a major world power and puts it in international context. I recommend it to every investor, scholar, politician or diplomat and everyone else, who needs to keep up with the changing realities of our times. However, this book, does not have the historical depth of his previous work "The Silk Roads, A new History of the World". It hink this must reflect the time press the author was under. When you travel fast you cannot always understand the significance of details or how they fit in the over-all picture. To name one example, Mr. Frankopan does not quite get the significance of remote satellite sensing for ensuring compliance of urban planning. It has nothing to do with "chimney pots or patio extensions" (p21). Its purpose is to stop the common practice of corrupt local officials to close their eyes for illegal property development, where agricultural land is converted to urban development and industrial parks and turned into luxurious villa districts sold a premium prices. Central authorities use computers for spotting anomalies and discrepancies between the rules and regulations on land use and realities on the ground. It is highly effective. The authorities have sent bulldozers to destroy luxurious villa districts and severly punished the officials involved. As for the patio extensions, the common practice is to close one eye and pretend not to notice, as long as it is not excessive or dangerous and does not disturb the local harmony.

I read this second Silk Roads book with the same fascination I gave the first one. wondering as I went along why the second one did not receive the raves of the first. Finally in the final chapter I realized the subject matter was current history and contained information the reader did not want to read about.

Good information in the book. But the author's obvious dislike for Trump was distracting. He could have made his points more objectively.

I could not put this down and will read it again. The clearly-stated informative political goals of the countries written about are certainly needed in this Europe/America-centric world of media news. Central Asia has always been a fascinating source of history, but not so much a vibrant source of contemporary news. The author gives us plenty of reasons to learn more. I read Frankopan's previous book and am eager to read more of his analysis of the political shifting of sands in these countries.

This book concerns the modern-day intrusion of Asia (especially China) and the Middle East into dominance of the world, and the apparent loss of influence of Europe and the U.S. Russia, China and the U.S. are portrayed as modern-day empires, involved in an extremely complex game of political, economic and social influence. Various factors have significantly played into China’s hands. The extreme importance of energy and minerals have continued to keep Russia and the Middle East of central importance. It is far from clear as to what all of this means for the future of the world. Frankopan certainly projects his viewpoint, and is convincing that there is an important transition occurring in the world at this time. He presents a complex picture, and I am not sure that it gives us much insight on the big perspective over the numerous complicated details of change. Russia, China and the U.S. play the games of empires, but the world, beyond this game, has incurred changes, especially population growth (which Frankopan alludes to only very indirectly), that muddy the picture significantly. I recommend Frankopan’s book, but not strongly, for discussing a point of view that is important. It adds one piece to the puzzle of humanity today.

I loved Frankopan's first book, The Silk Roads, and The New Silk Roads was a great followup. The first one is a very global view of history, each chapter covering whatever the influence was at the time, moving through to the present. Then the second book picks up. The first book doesn't have to be read in order to read the second.

Looks like an excellent book, but have to read “prequel” first.

EXCELLENT VALUE

I never knew so much about the road and route. The book has opened my eyes. English language is top notch

The pages seem good, I am yet to read it after finishing one of the other books I bought, I can't wait!

Um livro de atualidade para compreender o que se passa no mundo e grave erros de alguma governos ainda presos a uma realidade que já se foi. Explica bem o início da transferência do poder imperial do oeste para o leste.

We are living in the Asian century already, at a time when the movement of global economic, and therefore military, activity is moving from the west to the east at an astonishing speed. Peter Frankopan sees, all across Asia, a strong sense of states trying to work together and to elide their interests while putting differences behind them. Chief among these is the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, President Xi of China‘s signature economic and foreign policy, which uses the ancient Silk Roads – and their success – as a matrix for Chinese long term planning. Since the project was announced in 2013, nearly $1 trillion has been promised for infrastructure investments, mainly in the form of loans, to around 1,000 projects. Peter Frankopan describes in some detail the Roads to the East, being Russia, Pakistan, India and the Middle East; the Road to the Heart of the world including Iran, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan , Afghanistan, Georgia and Turkey. One reason for the optimism across the heart of Asia is the immense natural resources of the area. The Middle East, Russia and Central Asia account for 70% of proven oil resources, 65% of natural gas resources, 75% of silicon, 85% of rare earths like yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium, which are essential for super-magnets, batteries, actuators and laptops, and 80% of world heroin production. But Frankopan maintains the Initiative is not just driven by raw materials. As opposed to Trump’s inconsistent and adversarial behaviour, he maintains that President Xi’s international relations are based on win-win cooperation. He is moving to fill a vacuum left by the US and Europe’s isolationist and self- indulgent politics and to provide Chinese leadership that emphasises the benefits of mutual cooperation. The Initiative is by no means plain sailing. The rivalry with the US and the imposition of sweeping tariffs by Trump is examined, military disputes in the South China Seas, the conflict between India and Pakistan and the risks of indebtedness and non payment of loans are all discussed. Peter Frankopan contrasts the collaborative approach of the Chinese with the arbitrary, isolationist and short term nature of Trump’s foreign policies. And quotes numerous examples of the contradictions of US strategy. For instance, Saudi Arabia has become the pillar of US policy in the Middle East. One reason is its oil wealth but another is the prodigious amount of money it spends on US weapons. But Russia is active in wooing Saudi Arabia, including fighting alongside it in Syria. With the US’s Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, US arms sales are prohibited to any nation that buys Russian weapons. This means that if Saudi Arabia, Turkey and others can be persuaded by Moscow to switch allegiances, then they fall decisively out of Washington’s orbit. Compared to the Silk Roads and Asia, Europe is not so much moving at a different speed as in a different direction. Where the story of Asia is about increasing connections, improving collaboration and deepening cooperation, in Europe the story is about separation, the re-erection of barriers and ‘taking back control.’ Brexit provides good example of this, but so do rising anti-EU movements in Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary and elsewhere – and support by hundreds of thousands of people for independence in Scotland and Catalonia. Frankopan quotes King Zhao who ruled China nearly 2,500 years ago and declared ‘a talent for following the ways of yesterday is not sufficient to improve the world of today.’ Understanding what is driving change is the first step in being able to prepare and adapt to it. The fact is that the Silk Roads are rising. How they develop, evolve and change will shape the world of the future. Hard to argue. Certainly a sobering and topical book.