The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations

by Daniel Yergin

Chinese company now owns a controlling share in Piraeus, the port for Athens. The president of Panama asked Xi Jinping if Panama could be part of the BRI. Certainly, Xi replied. “Connectivity” is basic to Belt and Road, and the Panama Canal provides major “connectivity” to the world economy. China happens to be the second-largest user of the canal; a Chinese company has purchased the largest port facility on the canal, and another has proposed a $4.1 billion high-speed railway project for Panama. China finally clarified the number of eligible members of the Belt and Road; it was open to “all nations.” Yet the “core” countries could be narrowed down to a much smaller number that have signed “comprehensive strategic partnerships” with China.