While China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) caught widespread attention after its launch in 2013, the international relations of the Silk Roads can be traced back to the 2^nd century BCE when the Han dynasty dispatched Zhang Qian to seek alliance with the Yuezhi Kingdom in Central Asia against the threat of the nomadic Xingnu. The reopening of the overland Silk Roads by the Tang dynasty in the 7^th century CE and then the maritime Silk Roads by the Ming dynasty in the 14^th century CE also involved complex episodes of international commerce and geopolitical contestation.

     This research project examines the interactive dynamics of geopolitical contestation, international commerce and domestic politics along the historical Silk Roads and the modern BRI. It makes extensive use of secondhand historical studies to trace the interaction between international commerce and geopolitical competition. The aim is to provide an in-depth analysis of the historical background of the modern BRI. My analysis shows that forging a long-term and credible relationship with the small trading states along the Silk Roads was, and still is, a major challenge that China has faced.