China Rebuilds the Silk Road

“For centuries, Chinese products have wended their way thousands of kilometers across mountains and deserts to the heart of central Asia, Afghanistan. Now, for the first time, the trade is carried by rail. With the first train last week pulling in to Hairatan, northern Afghanistan, China marked another advance in President Xi Jinping’s Silk Road project to deepen his nation’s influence along old trade routes. For Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the new link also marks a small step toward a dream of turning his landlocked country into a transit hub of Asia” (Bloomberg, September 11, 2016). Chinese President Xi Jinping has been planning a massive connection between Europe and Asia by what is called a modern silk road—and is spending close to one trillion dollars to make this trade network a reality (PBS NewsHour, March 2, 2016). “China emphasizes the Silk Road’s role in boosting industrialization in the developing nations sandwiched between East and West. Economists say the initiative has the potential to stimulate Asian and global economic growth” (Bloomberg, September 8, 2016).

Bible prophecy reveals that an end-time Asian superpower will launch a huge army towards the west to confront a European Beast power in the Middle East (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 9:13-18). China will likely play a key role in the activities of this coming Asian superpower. For more information, read our article, “Is This China’s Century?”