Launched in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping, the Belt & Road Initiative aims to bring China closer to Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world, while also connecting certain parts of Asia into a huge network of countries through both land and maritime corridors. The ambitious project that it is seeks to improve trading relations, improve infrastructure, and safeguard economic development by stimulating regional integration. While the concept originally dates back to the Han Dynasty some 2000 years ago when the Silk Road developed into an ancient network of trade routes connecting Imperial China to the markets of the Mediterranean, the Belt and Road Initiative is better defined as a far more holistic approach.