Via BBC, a report on Cuba’s legalization of small- and medium-sized private businesses: Cuba’s government has announced that it is legalising small and medium-sized private businesses. It is the latest stage of reforms begun when President Raul Castro took over from his brother, Fidel in 2008. Raul Castro has been trying to stimulate Cuba’s stagnant […]
Read more »Courtesy of the Financial Times, an article examining India’s growing angst over China’s regional involvement: Chinese labourers work on the Karakoram highway in northern Pakistan Talk of a new Silk Road may be intended to evoke romantic, non-threatening images of desert caravans, ancient ships and trade in exotic commodities. But China’s grand plan for a network […]
Read more »Via the Financial Times, a report on the new land Silk Road route that takes 14 days versus 45 by sea: Alireza Saadat started to trace and document Iran’s segment of the ancient Silk Road four years ago. The 47-year-old, who works on conservation and restoration of archeological sites, has, together with three female companions, […]
Read more »Courtesy of the Financial Times, a report on the new Silk Road: Illustrated map depicting the journey of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo (1254 – 1324) along the silk road to China If the ancient Silk Road developed to enable trade in fine cloths and spices, the new one will transport computer equipment and frozen […]
Read more »Via The Financial Times, a look at Beijing’s ’One Belt, One Road’ initiative: The ancient trade in silk, spices and slaves between China and Europe turned central Asian oases into wealthy business hubs. Now, with China seeking to rebuild the Silk Road as its signature foreign policy initiative, countries across post-Soviet central Asia, the Caucasus […]
Read more »Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), detailed analysis of the evolving China-Pakistan economic corridor: The partnership between Pakistan and China is one of the strongest in Asia. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif once said that his country’s ties with Beijing are “higher than mountains” and “deeper than oceans.” In May 2015, those sentiments were given form […]
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