The New Challenges on the Silk Road

In his book Out of Control, Brzezinski speaks about a vacuum in Eurasia, with important geopolitical consequences. Which are the new challenges and risks on the Silk Road in the time of globalization, radicalization, and freedom of movement? The paper will stress three challenges: the project “Economic zone on the Silk Road” (the leadership in economic performance is held by China and therefore the eastern political cultures have the necessary economic basis for asserting their independence), the influence of ETIM and IMU on the region and the role and place of Xinjiang, as a bridge between Central and South Asia; how they reflected on this way of old traditions and cultures and whether there is a “clash” between the Eastern religions on the “Silk Road” and Islam with its multi dimensions, between the thick black chador and the silk veil, called “tissue of wind”, between spiritual, transcendental cognition (Daoism) and pragmatic mundane faith of Islam. I will conclude that the new challenges on the Silk Road create new borders between people—religious, linguistic, ethnical, and new identities. The main question is as follows: Shall we keep the cultural plurality and authenticity of the region?