Tom Miller - China’s Asian Dream: Empire Building along the New Silk Road

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Miller is a senior analyst at Gavekal Research, a global economic research service, and managing editor of China Economic Quarterly , published by its sister service Gavekal Dragonomics. Tom was educated at the University of Oxford and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, and spent two years studying Mandarin in Beijing. A former journalist, he has reported from a dozen countries in Asia. His first book, Chinas Urban Billion: The Story Behind the Biggest Migration in Human History (Zed, 2012), was translated into Chinese. After fourteen years living in China, Tom now divides his time between England and Asia.

CHINAS
ASIAN
DREAM

EMPIRE BUILDING
ALONG THE NEW SILK ROAD
TOM MILLER

TOM MILLER

Chinas Asian Dream: Empire Building Along the New Silk Road was first published in 2017 by Zed Books Ltd, The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR, UK

www.zedbooks.net

Copyright Tom Miller 2017

The right of Tom Miller to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

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Index: John Barker
Cover design: Clare Turner
Cover photo Martin Roemers/Panos Pictures

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of Zed Books Ltd.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-78360-924-6 hb

ISBN 978-1-78360-923-9 pb

ISBN 978-1-78360-925-3 pdf

ISBN 978-1-78360-926-0 epub

ISBN 978-1-78360-927-7 mobi

For Flora, Harry and Penny

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is the fruit of two years spent wandering around Chinas border regions and often far-flung parts of Asia. It could not have been written without the support of my colleagues at Gavekal Research in Hong Kong and Gavekal Dragonomics in Beijing. Special thanks go to Arthur Kroeber, who encouraged me to disappear from the office, and to Louis Gave, for not minding. Many thanks as well to Simon Pritchard, Tom Holland, Udith Sikand, Chris Rickleton, David Eimer, Paul Mooney and David Brown, who read through earlier articles and draft chapters of the book, pointing out errors and making helpful suggestions.

I was helped in my research and on my travels by numerous people. In Beijing: Ignacio Asenjo, Andrew Batson, Chen Long, Ernan Cui, Simon Denyer, Matt Ferchen, Thomas Gatley, Philippa Jones, David Kelly, Calum MacLeod, Pratik Mathur, Alanis Qin, Felix Roberts, David Sedney, Ruslan Suleimenov, Dina Turarova, Rosealea Yao, Wang Jisi, Joerg Wuttke and Zha Daojiong. In Hong Kong: Gavin Bowring. In Kunming: Lu Guangsheng. In Astana and Almaty: Nurbala Amiebayera, Aidar Azerbayev, Amer Durrani, Steven Freeman, John Gray, Janet Heckman, Ann Herrigan, Nargis Kassenova, Joanna Lillis, Yelena Sadovskaya, Leilya Shamell, Brian Shelbourne and Dena Sholk. In Bishkek and Osh: Bakyt Duashov, Sultan Khalilov, Uluk Kydyrbaev, Roman Mogilevskii, Nazira Raymond, Talant Sultanov and Deirdre Tynan. In Yangon and Mandalay: Jan Ano, Roman Caillaud, Nickey Diamond, Stuart Deed, Josh Gordon, Judy Ko, Thura Ko, Aung Naing Oo, Tao Ye, Khin Tun and Wong Yit Fan. In Phnom Penh: Daniel de Carteret, Julian Rake, Sok Siphana and David Van Vichet. In Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi: Mike Ives, Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Nguyen The Phuong, Nguyen Trung Truc, Tuong Lai and Truong-Minh Vu. In Singapore: Kanti Bajpai, Selina Ho, Huang Jing, Tomoo Kikuchi, C Raja Mohan, Alex Neill and Ian Storey. In Colombo: Krishantha Coorey, Karu Jayasuriya, Ravi Karunanayake, Vidya Nathaniel, Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu and Eran Wickramaratne. In Delhi: Rahul Bedi, Brahma Chellaney, Gurcharan Das and Rahul Jacob. In Washington DC: Michael Austin, Peter Foster, Bonnie Glaser, Michael Green, Murray Hiebert, Yukon Huang, Christopher Johnson, Scott Kennedy, Ashkok Mirpuri, Vikram Nehru, Douglas Paal and Sun Yun. In London: Agatha Kratz, Sam Leith and Rafaello Pantucci. And in Oxford: Rosemary Foot, Ewan Smith and Jonathan Ward. My apologies to anyone I have forgotten.

Finally, my love and thanks go to my familyFlora, Harry and Pennyfor being there when I come home. This book is dedicated to them.

Oxford, July 2016

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