Sputnik - Tehran will be a key player in Beijing�s multibillion-dollar One Belt, One Road initiative to resurrect the ancient Silk Road with massive international land and sea trade and transit investments.




Ground transportation infrastructure flanking Iran�s east and west border as�a result of�Chinese investment, in�addition to�access points at�the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of�Oman and the Caspian Sea, combine to�make Iran �the centerpiece,� of�the massive project, Axios reported Wednesday.
�In the same way that Britain ruled its 19th century empire through�a far-flung navy, and the US has done so through�its trade deals and its own big naval ships, Beijing is preparing for�the day years from�now when it may be the premier global power,� the Virginia-based news agency said.


The Center for�Strategic and International Studies� Jon Alterman said OBOR was envisioned as�a mechanism �to secure China from�a [potential] American-led blockade� against�the fast-growing economy. Furthermore, Alterman suggested that Beijing views a strategic partnership with�Iran as�a �great hedge against�American hegemony.�

To Tehran�s west, railroads will link Turkey and Iran. From there, Turkey will serve as�the �spoke� for�traded goods to�funnel into�Europe. On the other side of�the compass dial, ground transportation routes will connect Tehran with�Central Asian countries, Afghanistan and western China.