Chapter 1
The Roadmap and Timetable of China’s Internationalization

Frequently mentioned as it is, globalization existed as early as 2,000 years ago, which was exemplified by the trade on the Silk Road. The Silk Road lasted for thousands of years and extended thousands of miles. Along the Road, humans formulated the earliest long-distance trading rules and created diverse commercial civilizations in different historical periods. Moreover, with commercial activities came the exchange and blending of cultures, which also deeply impacted the global economic structure and shaped the oldest commercial wisdom. The ancient Silk Road declined while the Belt and Road Initiative arose, in which humans saw radical changes over thousands of years.

The Belt and Road Initiative embodies both China’s global strategic vision and an inherent trend in its social and economic development. Through the Initiative, China is providing a far-reaching framework for innovation-driven worldwide economic development. The Initiative in-dicates a new trend in global governance, an innovative understanding of globalization, and an important opportunity for mutual prosperity through regional cooperation. This chapter examines China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the context of history and international comparison.