The Global Economic Order before (and after) Western Hegemony: Chinese-Middle Eastern Relations from the Silk Road to "One Belt, One Road"

The Western, or liberal, international order which emerged after World War II reflects the culmination of a centuries-long process of European, and later American, economic and political development. But how can we understand global trade and economic ties before the "Rise of the West" -- and what does the decline of the Western international order mean for global economic relations? A decline in the economic and political hegemony of Western powers has provided an opening for the revival of trade ties between China and the Middle East, the world's economic hegemons before Europe's rise. The creation of a new economic zone which touches half of the world's population speaks to the growing relevance of "South-South" economic ties.