Navigating China's Maritime Silk Road

The European Council on Foreign Relations published in April 2018 a study titled "Blue China: Navigating the Maritime Silk Road to Europe" by Mathieu Duchatel and Alexandre Sheldon Duplaix.

The paper focuses on the main corridor of the Maritime Silk Road--the Malacca/Suez route through the Indian Ocean--where European interests are large and immediate. It emphasizes that while economics is the main driver of the initiative, the Maritime Silk Road is also about naval power and international influence and forms part of Xi Jinping's broader national strategy. The significant increase in PLA Navy port calls in the Indian Ocean and round Africa in recent years is a clear indicator of this intent.