Infrastructure construction as empire consolidation in Chinese History

Abstract

This chapter appraises the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the historical treatment of the idea of “connectivity” in China’s ancient history. The nature of the “connectivity” can also be understood in its mechanical aspects: Interconnection, complementation to perfect the existing, build on the basis of the existing routes, or even initiate renewal. But the new story that has emerged with the Belt and Road Initiative is that it presents a way of survival and development for the State and its corresponding society, a theme repeated in many of China’s strategic projects. The BRI transforms individual works into a massive, unified body that creates a new look, generates productivity, and imparts new vitality to a future Chinese power.