More than two thousand years ago, merchants crossed thousands of kilometers to connect the eastern and western worlds through the Arab region, traversing some of the harshest terrain on earth. Their journeys took them across the vast Gobi Desert stretching through southern Mongolia and northern China, and over the towering Pamir Mountains—known as the “Roof of the World”—located at the intersection of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, and Kyrgyzstan.
This route, which extended for approximately 6,437 kilometers (around 4,000 miles), later became known as the Silk Road. It was not merely a trade corridor, but a vibrant artery through which goods, cultures, and ideas flowed. Merchants carried highly valuable commodities—most notably Chinese silk, which adorned the clothing of European nobility, giving the route its famous name. Precious stones, porcelain, tea, and spices moved westward, while horses, glassware such as bottles and flasks, textiles, and manufactured goods traveled eastward.
The Silk Road also carried ideas, religions, and scientific knowledge. Buddhism, Chinese medicine, architectural arts, and writing traditions journeyed alongside caravans, transforming the route into a genuine bridge for intellectual and cultural exchange.
During the Golden Age of the Islamic civilization—from the 8th to the 14th century—Arab merchants and scholars played a pivotal role in revitalizing and expanding this network. Cities like Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo served as major centers of trade, culture, and scholarship, while ports along the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf became strategic hubs linking the Far East with Europe.
As a result, major civilizations such as China, India, Persia, and the Islamic world flourished, while commercial cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Basra, and Alexandria emerged as global centers of trade, knowledge, and culture.
A New Silk Road for the 21st Century
More than two millennia later, China is reviving this historic route with a new vision—built not on camel caravans but on infrastructure, investment, and economic integration. In 2013, President Xi Jinping announced the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), one of the most ambitious development programs of the modern age.
The initiative seeks to recreate the Silk Road in a contemporary form built on trade, energy, technology, and modern infrastructure. Since its announcement, BRI has become a central pillar of China’s foreign policy, extending beyond economics toward reshaping global power dynamics through a network of interconnected land and maritime corridors spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Today, more than 150 countries have joined the initiative, making it the largest development project in modern history in terms of participation and financial scale. With an estimated cost of $1.4 trillion, BRI is roughly twelve times largerthan the U.S. Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II.
The Middle East: A Strategic Anchor in the Belt and Road Initiative
The Middle East holds exceptional strategic value for China due to its location at the crossroads of three major continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe. These regions together form the geographic backbone of the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to connect the world through an extensive web of trade and transport routes.
The region is also a global energy hub, serving as a primary transit point for the oil and gas flows that China increasingly relies on. Middle Eastern countries offer promising opportunities for natural resources and long-term investments, while acting as a strategic gateway to markets in Europe, Africa, and South Asia.
Economic studies indicate that China has been deepening its economic, diplomatic, and strategic footprint in the region through investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, technology, and telecommunications. Since 2013, Chinese investments in the Middle East have surpassed $240 billion, largely concentrated in sectors such as energy, logistics, and communications across countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Iran.
These partnerships do not only advance China’s strategic interests—they also support regional efforts to diversify economies, enhance stability, and drive sustainable development, especially as the region transitions beyond oil dependency.
The Middle East also sits near four critical maritime chokepoints: the Bosporus, the Dardanelles, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz—arteries through which a significant share of China’s global trade flows. This geographic proximity positions the region as a central link in China’s broader ambition to reshape global trade routes.
Africa at the Core of the New Silk Road
Africa is one of the central pillars of the Belt and Road Initiative. China views the continent as a promising market and a potential engine for global growth. Since 2005, Chinese investments in Africa have exceeded $300 billion, spanning infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and transport.
In Ethiopia, China funded the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway at over $4 billion, dramatically improving logistics across the Horn of Africa. In Egypt, Chinese companies invested more than $10 billion in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and renewable energy projects. In Kenya, the Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway costing $3.6 billion stands out as one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in East Africa.
However, this wave of investment has coincided with rising concerns about debt sustainability. According to the World Bank, around 22 African countries face heightened risks related to external debt—including obligations tied to Chinese loans. This has sparked policy discussions on how to structure foreign financing, including BRI funding, in ways that ensure long-term financial resilience.
Yet many experts argue that Chinese projects offer real development opportunities when integrated into clear national strategies for infrastructure and economic growth.
Financing Mechanisms: The Silent Power of China’s Sovereign Funds
BRI relies heavily on China’s sovereign wealth engines, primarily:
China Investment Corporation (CIC) – China’s main sovereign wealth fund
SAFE Investment Company – the investment arm of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange
Together, these institutions manage over $2.4 trillion in assets. Their capital has financed major infrastructure, railways, ports, and renewable energy projects across more than 40 African countries, making China the continent’s largest investor—outpacing Western investment by more than 2.5 times.
These financing channels underscore a clear strategic vision: China is not merely funding commercial projects, but building a long-term, cross-regional economic ecosystem that reinforces global trade and energy connectivity.
Libya: Between Global Opportunities and National Priorities
A decade after the Belt and Road Initiative was launched, it is evident that BRI has become a major driver of global economic transformation, linking continents through ports, roads, and logistics networks. While some view it as a broad development platform, others see it as an expansion of China’s global economic role.
For Libya, its strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea, its proximity to European markets, and its considerable natural resources, all position it to benefit from global economic shifts—whether through BRI or other international partnerships.
The question is not whether Libya should join the initiative, but rather how it can leverage its geography and resources to build balanced, mutually beneficial partnerships. Success depends on establishing a clear national strategy, diversifying the economy, and developing logistics capabilities that could one day position Libya as a key node in regional and global supply chains.
This raises an important question for the future: Can Libya transform its strategic location into tangible economic gains in the years ahead?
Reviewed and Edited by: Dr. Abdulmagid Bendalla
