I don't know how much culture China exported along the ancient silk road but I do know that China imported a lot of culture along it (e.g. Buddhism and other re

I don't know how much culture China exported along the ancient silk road but I do know that China imported a lot of culture along it (e.g. Buddhism and other religions), so its importance on the Chinese culture can hardly be over-emphasized. The problem with the author's critiquing of Chinese propaganda is that he adopted a chauvinistic framework. In reality for the Chinese people cultural import is likely more important than cultural export. Again if we remove the fixation on Chinese export and view the situation more objectively: Pakistan and the Middle East have the youngest populations in the world. If they can develop into manufacturing centers, it will not only alleviate the potential for radicalism. It will also compensate for the aging demographics of China, whether that is what China intends or not.