Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Originally posted in Arabic on September 18
China recently announced the launching of a new economic project called the “New Silk Road,” which will create a modern-day version of the ancient trade route that connected Asia and the Arab Sea.
According to Beijing’s vision, the project will facilitate and allow free trade throughout Eurasia and the Arab Gulf, connecting the world’s greatest economies. However, the project faces a big difficulty. It is not one of nature and geography, nor one of transportation and movement. Rather, it is a problem of communication.
Historically, the Silk Road contributed to the spread not only of goods, but also of languages and cultures. The Arab Gulf made use of the paper that was brought from the Far East to spread knowledge among people. Traders from both the Chinese and the Arab sides carried their traditions and cultures across the Road, bringing civilizations together.
Today, however, such communication channels do not exist. The Chinese do not speak Arabic, and the Arabs do not speak Chinese. Both sides rely on English for communication. Without direct communication between the two sides, the legacy left by our two civilizations would not be recreated.
Therefore, in order for the project to work, we must make use of modern day communication platforms to enhance understanding between the two sides. The Internet and social media platforms could be one example. China and the Arab world have a lot of unused potential for economic, cultural, and political partnership.
Beijing’s vision is a noble one, but it should be accompanied by an attempt to build greater cultural understanding between the Arabs and the Chinese. – Ayman al-Hammad