Like say don is situated in chinas far west on the border with central asia for centuries this Mountain Lake was a strategic transit point along the legendary silk road that ran between europe and the chinese empire. For the nomads living around the lake the opening of the new silk road is in some ways history repeating itself. Trucks have replaced the caravans of the past on the newly built highway. The ambitious project was launched by chinese president xi jinping during a visit to kazakhstan in two thousand and thirteen. Remission only arc of what you didnt see. Me show before its all going joshing. Father and. Son jaguar corps well known qayyum trunks in the film was. Holcombe fair shot such a whole shitload that trisha fall for you and. The void and meaning that. The new silk road planned by xi jinping runs for ten thousand kilometers on road and on rail it crosses western china kazakhstan russia and will run all the way to europe its a huge construction site. But what are chinas true intentions behind this mega project. The minivan and in my opinion this project will change the development of the economy and society but it will definitely have long term geopolitical implications to judea. And the new silk road crosses central asia the russian sphere of influence. Bloody near putin and the xi jinping regularly affirm their geo Strategic Alliance but this new chinese project could have a massive impact on the relationship between the two countries and in the long term it could do the same to the power balance in the whole of eurasia. If in the past the silk road was called the axis of the world if you control that road you control the world. China has. Chosen the city of chang xing as the starting point for its new silk road. With a population of around thirty five million almost as many as beijing and shanghai combined chung xing is chinas largest urban area. Few people in the west have actually heard of chang xing but this megacity on the young sea river is a symbol of the economic boom the country has been experiencing for the past thirty years. While growth is tapering off in the Major Industrial centers of kwong cherilyn shenzhen chong xing is proving every day a new that its one of the future engines of chinas economic development. Growth has long been based on heavy industry with cheap labor from the countryside. But in recent years the megacity has put all its Energy Behind the giants of the electronics industry. Thanks to this transformation changing can now boast the growth rate in double figures. That our laptops are launching he produced in chongqing the one doc company has three factories interim chain with around fifteen thousand employees. His factory has three thousand two hundred employees. We mainly produce a select ops the people. Here feel is that the laptops you buy in france and germany are all produced a. Body they made those judgments and. On their journey from chung xing to europe the computers have to to travel. Thousand kilometers over land to reach the coast then theyll be at sea for at least a month on the South China Sea the strait of malacca and the suez canal. But in practice two months often go by between the time a computer emerges from the factory in china and is sold in europe. That gave rise to the idea of reviving the Overland Route of the silk road that once ran through western China Central asia and russia. The shortening of the transport period isnt the only goal of this new silk road tensions are growing in the South China Sea between beijing and its neighbors taiwan japan and the philippines and even with the unpredictable United States of donald trump an alternative route is becoming vital for china. It was holtons a change president xi jinping has emphasized the great significance of chung ching for global and Asian Pacific logistics chunking is to become a hub for inland logistics that will be open to the outside to. Follow. Chung shing has a clear directive to turn away from the sea and look west. Thats also symbolized by kilometers zero which marks the starting point of the new silk road. In order to supply this new route to the west with goods the city has built logistics facilities to replace the container ports on the coast. At this central freight terminal we send around a thousand can tell us every day two of the chinese provinces and two other countries. As well and were responsible for the safety of these operations and there are many here. Every week three or four trying sleep could do spin in germany and workers are. Carrying around forty one can say. The for us sounds on. The electronic goods loaded on to the trains here arrive in germany after just twelve days instead of traveling eight weeks by sea. However transporting goods by rail costs twice as much two hundred and fifty trains like this one are necessary to carry the same volume as a single container ship. At the moment this train to germany has more of a symbolic significance but its a simple thats important to a china thats looking west not least to put a convincing case for xi jinping his project to both the domestic audience and chinas Economic Partners with european elderado as its end point the new silk road that travels through china for more than two thousand five hundred kilometers will also help develop the countrys infrastructure or so its hoped. This new transport route that combines road and rail will connect and boost regions in western china beyond long joe. Miller. Wild west of huge expansion and one that was left behind by the Economic Reforms of the past twenty years. The city of long joel is the gateway to chinas wide open west here the new silk road is taking on the characteristics of a marshall plan. The new oversized neighborhoods empty as yet suggest affluence. Between the life size replicas of the sphinx and the parthenon the governments propaganda is regurgitated by all. The shorter look the new silk road will fuel the economy culture and got stronger me the city of leisure will become more attractive as will be improvements of dams. And little of the less one sit on the new silk road is a collective and therefore political project thats very promising and was muck and whod have thought in light of the stagnating Economic Growth that official figures say its seven percent but in reality its four percent the Chinese Government needs a new impulse to prove that its in control of this major project one. Of the the worlds second largest economy china is in reality a colossus with feet of clay and threatened by uncontrolled social developments. Only an economic Success Story benefiting the entire country can keep it together. But this growth is based on the export of products that are made in china and these seriously declined since the Global Economic squeeze china has to change its economic model and that means it has to develop its. Mastic market. Last it has to invest in the infrastructure needed to promote the exchange of goods in just ten years china has built eighty thousand kilometers of highways. The rural road network in the east is impressive but to open up the market to the west there is just one possible route between the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau and the gobi desert. Thats exactly where the new silk road runs. Its a unique transport link and indispensable when it comes to connecting the province of sheens young which means new border to the rest of the country in the arid semi desert expanses of western china beijing and the Central Government were always very far away. But today the new silk road is creating change its altering the concept of time and ultimately it will change the lives of the people here. Go that route they come from all over the country from change on shape john shanghai. Beijing and hes from the northeast were in a favorable transport location which is good for business in every regard. Ten years ago we were still in our home village but we moved to the city to make money when the Economic Reforms came. From the streets in the venous china is undergoing a radical shift particularly in the west of the country and inching jang all these cities being built in the desert are cities with skies great at the u. S. Theyre moving. And theres a lot of activity everywhere. Lights and even music and color okey vos images that are war teeth of it or get this from the x. Ray its a message to the chinese population is to attract people to these remote areas of the earth a preview trying to find something. To make it possible for people to move to the remote province of change young or to trade their beijing has extended its high speed train along the entire new highway. The travel time for the two thousand kilometers between lunch show and room she is now at just ten hours down from forty. Thats. Such. A chance of. China now possesses the largest High Speed Rail Network in the world with a length of twenty thousand kilometers three hundred billion dollars was invested in ten years that corresponds to almost the entire annual budget of a country like france. The root of the new silk road is among the newest its been in operation since two thousand and fourteen. The high speed route to cian jiang swallowed a lot of money and itll never be Cost Effective but for beijing the benefit lies elsewhere firstly its political because this route really affirms the desire to connect shane jiang more closely to the rest of the country. And it also sends a message to neighboring states because china sees itself as of the builder of an International HighSpeed Network to run from russia to central asia and iran. The route currently ns at the cutting edge Railway Station in odum cheek the provincial capital the station has very strict security measures in place. The local Muslim Minority and the han chinese who make up the vast majority of the population in the rest of the country. Attacks violent riots and economic and religious imbalances in the region combines all the ingredients for a highly explosive Cocktail Police roadblocks and military checkpoints secure the new silk road here with strict controls. Moscow. Beijing believes the two cornerstones of peace inching jiang our domestic security and massive Growth Without peace this province cannot become a springboard for chinese interests in central asia with the support of the government the plan is for whom she to become a Regional Center every two years a large trade fair is held to promote the new silk road. The stands are all tailored to attracting visitors from neighboring countries and all dutifully recite the official text to sell the chinese dream. Which was this model shows what our Economic Zone will look like when the project is complete. Since. This is how it will be done. Its our goal to get businesses from the five countries of central asia that surround us to come here at the start of the year we presume to down project in russia and kazakhstan Many Companies signal their interest in our free trade zone iraqis he told us ya. Modern shing jiang is having positive effects on the development along the new silk road beijing wants to exploit this to prove its competence and experience in building up infrastructure Economic Zones and the Important Energy sector. To do that Big Chinese Companies are needed such as gold wind the number one when it comes to wind energy gold wind is run by will guns. And there will missions that course will in the end up on chang wind farm inching junk its one of the best wind farms in the world its twenty to thirty kilometers wide and eighty kilometers long i should say the special thing about this place is its constant wind speeds feet on the deep. Its ideal for a wind farm five yet issues of only if i didnt see a reason that. The success of gold wind is a classic example of the chinese economic miracle. Is a pioneer who built his first Wind Turbines thirty years ago he bought a German Company which resulted in a cleverly negotiated transfer of Technology Today gold wind as the biggest maker of Wind Turbines in the world. At a time when the Energy Market is in a state of completely unpressed. Then to transition his business is perfectly placed. To lose the true many sources of Renewable Energies along the entire new silk road concession in kazakhstan or pakistan or even turkey which will be on the court because the time. Theres wind and solar energy everywhere the magick without have to pay on the phone and thats the end sure feel to. Have no pity or yeah developing wind energy further costs a lot of money the chinese plan on a completely different scale weve seen that with their solar panels everythings big. They have a real Strategic Vision were lacking that in europe. Or. One things clear long term strategies are easier to implement if youre an authoritarian stable government. The new silk road follows in the long tradition of a planned economy pursued by chinas communist party. Powers out on the hill at first glance the politics behind the new silk road have the mark of xi jinping in that it strengthens his power and his reputation its like a good budget in the long term it stands for it changing china it just lets you see debates about this have been going on in the economic circles since two thousand and eleven she should say to our this project will have consequences and far into the future and implementing it will take decades to yank and this doesnt just affect she jinping it affects his successes to actually end the machine he has unique else and i just know that she and. Her its another five hundred kilometers from whom she to the cars uk border. The border town of course goss is situated at the end of the highway. Goss has an old custom station and riders who arent fazed by anything. But china wants to give its new image a visual representation in the form of a huge arch under which the new silk road will soon run. Beyond this triumphal arch is kazakhstan thats where the International Dimension of the chinese project began. Here the new silk. Road is still a construction site but just three years after she ging pings proclamation the continuation of the chinese road is easy to imagine peace shamble mushy is one of the main players in this ongoing project hes a frenchman of moroccan origin and an employee of d. P. World a group of Companies Based in dubai and one of the worlds leading logistics organizations they are model china is behind me almaty in kazakhstan is in front of me a mighty to the left of me is kyrgyzstan and beyond it was becky stan i have russia to my right its called gosss at the center between all of these countries this is where everything is happening. And he shunned belmarsh she works for the cause a government which is hoping to get a lot out of the new silk road. Its a road that could turn this middle of nowhere into an outpost of globalization. Zero and on the often if theres any place that symbolizes the meeting of east and west its this one is. That is why the chinese tracked and behind me at. The cash tracks start to my left like it ima go to pieces from here you can get to beijing shanghai eon young young and ningbo and from here you can get to see a stana russia and europe. In quarter goes the chinese containers are loaded onto cars a Freight Trains which run on a narrower gauge the russian gauge a leftover of the soviet era and from here the goods can reach anywhere in central asia home to a number of countries the size of europe with a population of just seventy million kazakhstan is the big. Yes the monk them. For both of you could offset is it enough we mustnt forget that the border between the former soviet union and china run along here for a very long time there was almost no contact between the two countries if the border was closed thanks to the new infrastructure a lot of passengers and goods will come through here on it on the way to target the coal gas is the starting point for a revival of the silk road wanted it to settle on its own as it all does for. The new silk road still under construction in kazakhstan once complete it will cross the entire country over a distance of two thousand four hundred kilometers the construction work is largely being paid for with loans issued by the world bank but also by china itself via its new silk road fund. Thats a state fund running to more than forty billion dollars this new strategy has allowed china to enter the exclusive club of major creditor nations. Until the new silk road opens and china arrives the cosmic steps still live in the old world a world that dates back to soviet times a world that has been governed by president not out of by a with an iron fist for the past twenty five years he recently called the new silk road the project of a century. Nothing has changed here since the fall of the soviet union especially not the old world road connecting court of course with the rest of the country. As i was also of get i have goods from china im heading to almaty ive been travelling since yesterday so now i have a flat tire. I normally have to complete this stretch in a day. The chinese side is much better at that im. Just very much feel that the road is very good its well maintained there are no potholes why who is it will improve here to. Launch of birth of my. News of the imminent opening of the highway is spreading slowly on the steps. But for some the new silk road is likely to be bad news. More years due but its mostly our ease that stop here have come through russia or europe we clean them before they head into china it appears. Were doing a good thing for people there are not many coal washes here. Most of the q. More of course in ma it was when the highway is open and the old country road will probably be closed there wont be a single vehicle coming through here that i think i will be here another two or three years after that no cars will come through here it will be a dead quiet past. Month. All this is seen with mixed feelings in the villages through which the old road runs theyre hoping for a Better Future and are dubious about what will happen next honestly im sure our president as a by have signed his contract with china theres already a functioning train a Freight Train that goes to it it was just one look at that it would come out of there with it transports Raw Materials cars and all kinds of things to many other countries which just must play just the first thing that fits all thats already possible it was done he manages it the girl who. Took us is usually the inhabitants of the small towns near the chinese border and generally happy with whats happening right now and theyre not stupid they think of the business side of things and the immediate advantages i use with this what are they really thinking of the future of this with its that theyre going about their business but theyre not pursuing. Long term strategy. Of will appear. Behind the new silk road that leads to kazakhstans economic capital almaty behind the trains that run through the steps china is pursuing a strategy. The opening of a new export route to absorb any excess Industrial Production but the main goal is to intensify chinas economic and political influence all across central asia a region that historically has looked towards russia. In the new facility to going to play the logic of the generous roads them. Theyre always lines. For post all the new transport options are an advantage to those located on this line in kazakhstan and elsewhere in central asia skated their vision to leave a central nevertheless its largely a chinese project lets aiming to solve chinas problems that could take a guess the three for chinas constantly trying to find new space for its population. Here with a history of course russia has a lot of empty land but russia is still strong central asia is weaker its the weakest link in the chain. As so often chinas population figures are a cause for concern the fear of the yellow peril is always there below the surface a region with such a low population density like kazakhstan is always very interesting for china not least since its very rich in Oil Agricultural land and oil are two resources that are absolutely vital for chinas growth the new silk road which goes right across kazakhstan and a north westerly direction runs right past the big oil fields as zone of the greatest strategic significance to russia. But these days china is gaining in power thanks to its state run oil company c n p c its pipeline now transports twenty million tons of cars to the chinese province of sheen junk every year theres just one upping at least in the good and within central asia the west is the most important region at the access to the west has to be secured for that because thats where the huge Energy Sources lie that is i mean that if we had a source of each china wants to go beyond the mere exploitation of resources like the and thats why. Has offered an economic and Political Partnership to kazakstan with the concept of the new silk road economist bush will call for to. So the new silk road is also an oil road for china in return beijing is building the infrastructure necessary for kazakhstans development. It is. But in the village of kent near the oil fields of the Chinese Oil Company the promise of affluence made by president nazarbayev has already been moved back to twenty fifty. Clearly not much of the money for the new silk road gets as far as the small towns in the steps. Thats one of the others theres money here but nobody will give us work. They all goes there its not easy for us in the village theyre not doing anything for us. Told him not among their final you can see the state of the road over there the chinese dont employ anyone from there they employ other people how can we be satisfied with that and as i mentioned in the i dont mean here. In uk today the regional capital the headquarters of the Chinese Oil Company occupy the most impressive building in town. The style of the building marks a break with the typical restraint displayed by chinese investors. Seem to be said to them when they see n. P. C. Came here they brought in workers from china in the quarter that still play should have had quotas to follow up because of corruption and wangling more and more Chinese Workers came here and there are a few and fewer kazakh workers in the oil sector as the place for a good loss was a christian existence they have the same problem in russia used in the. Usa does lots of that and there are jokes on television already that you find more chinese than russians in russias far east as estimates by the yeah. I think if they come here theyll stay and settle on a new build. And the next year to kazakhstan is responding very negatively but so do several other countries in central asia but on the one hand these countries want investors in the other they have their own economic interests especially that they dont want foreigners to own greater shares in their companies than they do powerful us we have to create a win win situation that countries invest in and that allows the population to participate financially to only hope involved on the whole you. In two thousand and sixteen a law on the sale of Agricultural Land triggered anti chinese demonstrations of first in a country in which every kind of protest gathering is forbidden following the demonstrations to tell you off was arrested because he filmed the event and disseminated the footage. With snow do you think that most here would really make the site is that the media because you cannot tell them because you got. This is the difference that we have. Almost to call it seriously. Our resources can be sold our people know this but turn a blind eye kazakhs a patient they say never mind lets wait theres no war at least we have food this attitude will be our ruin. Soon we just be deal by humans we understand everything is being sold but we also see that this money is going into the pockets of a few people at the top of our limit is reached when they take our land because it people will never permit their land to be sold similar although i thought all things are going to possible. The chinese expansionism that banks on when when conditions is threatening to fail as a result of domestic corruption something that undermines a country like kazakhstan. In the parks of iraq to buy the only sign of Public Investment in the town many seem to have accepted that theyre just pawns in a great game. That in effect what they get you cant say the chinese are conquering our country because we live in peace. Theyve been getting oil from a since the late nineties been divided we have enough oil it was not in help themselves it. Was the problem. But theres not just the chinese who are here. We have french. American british german and italian people here too if the whole world. If it. Is what you see as expansion depends on the context if youre referring to the globalization of investment and Economic Exchange different than globalization is undoubtedly acceptable and closed but if you take it to mean domination or he get none it isnt that it doesnt fit chinas culture doesnt much pull on the lyceum little brazil. In two thousand and fourteen kazakhstan became a member of the your Asian Economic Union the free trade zone desired by moscow on the other hand the chinese have invested twice as much in kazakhstan since that date. To bear has become a new outpost for this chinese presence just a hundred kilometers from russia and the border station of jaison. At the moment russias still thrilled by the chinese project of the new silk road because its in line with its own eurasian ambitions. Russias advertising spots also promise affluence and cutting edge infrastructure. But the reality reveals that moscow simply isnt capable of keeping up with this rhythm as soon as the lorries from china are central asia reach russia they follow a zig zag course in order to avoid the huge post soviet potholes. Built them catherine noble with its rugged advances. In central asia china is demonstrating its strength to russia that lessens the russian influence in the region even if it is that the chinese have used the opening up to capitalism and growth to build Firm Foundations with the infrastructure was important to see what we still could be delicious cordles so our economy could look theres nothing like it in russia or in the world cup custom that wont change anytime soon because theres no money left to lose or should would again if we would and even if there were money it wouldnt be invested in infrastructure. Predicted. On the map the new silk road leads to the russian town of oren borg. In the days of the czars it was the gateway to asia. At the entrance to the town lorries and trains cross the ural the river that marks the geographical border between the asian and european continents. Instead of just historically speaking the ural has always formed a natural border because this is just the big rather its the governor as yes in a post caravans coming from asia always paused here the couple of the river was a barrier in the book were going to shift the discussion. Today the chinese efforts once again seem to come to a halt at the symbolic border. From here the project of the new silk road depends on moscows goodwill but does putins russia even want it. Watered down teaching but im skeptical about the relationship between china and russia whats your russia is facing a look at already as rethinking process a solution that russia used to be chinas big brother today it struggles to accept that china is superior. To handle were told of course china and russia are cooperating on military terrains for geopolitical reasons. But the new silk road has little support in russia because russia has its own eurasian project and with the show has a house with it all yeah its a fun and engaging. Couple starland for putin as for stalin before him military strength is the primary factor but thats just not enough in todays world and if acutely you need an efficient Economy Technology science which is qute in russia has none of that cosmic stan and his backers stand are already turning towards china while trying to maintain a balance but russias all talk of it was go order china has the money all russia has is memories who glorious past was in the know when you can call for. People like to come to the bridge of orenburg to enjoy the sunset looking west towards europe but many confess that theyre looking the other way more and more often. At this moment im sure that its easier will be our future after such china are there im sure other european our other countryside brits developing and their influence a wife our culture our wealth and thats why asia result future or. Maybe the new silk road will cross the ural river tomorrow and in the end a modern highway will connect china to europe as the railway already does. It will be a europe thats currently coping with many crises and that doesnt seem to have yet grasped the extent and she ging pings project. How can you europe counter the power structures china is building along its new silk road. How will europe respond to this new soft imperialism based on Economic Growth and imperialism thats redrawing the map between europe and asia. To. The war. Her tricks are the envy of some of soccers biggest stars. Kenny son is a four time world champion. And freestyle football. To hungary and shows off her coolest moves and spectacular skills. Excuse me. Thirty minutes for the doubles. Rock n roll. Come. Sinful rhythms condemned by the church. I know the evil feeling that you feel when you think. The acoustics of his music are stopped and no one is more popular than jay tom good. Rock and religion clash that brings many poles to light. More than to really some to reconcilable come to the devil and rocknroll. Starts august nineteenth d. W. This is did i mean news live from berlin barcelona remembers victims of the terrorist attack one year ago today the family members of the victims gather in cast a memorial in the heart of that city sixteen people were killed more than one hundred injured one of em drove into pedestrians on the famed course rumble a schoolboy also coming up