The new year has arrived early on Chinese soil. They affectionately call it “The Year of the Dragon”. The Chinese dragon looks eastward to begin its conquest. With America returning to its borders, Britain breaking away from the European Union and Russia seeking to change the status quo, China believes the time is now ripe to take on the role. This is not the only reason behind the dragon's ambitions. China is facing tough challenges in the South China Sea from major powers around the world. Since a third of maritime trade passes through the South China Sea, this is of extreme importance to China. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the event of hostilities, China could be choked by supplies from global powers operating in the disputed region. No wonder the dragon doesn't want a battle with superpowers! China is looking for alternative routes. The trade routes would reduce the current trade distance from 12,000 km to almost 3,000 km. It would be a further strength if the trade routes could act as strategic for its expansion in the geographical landscape. Eventually the dragon found a way to spread its wings all the way to Africa, traveling through Central Asia and the Middle East. OBOR (One Belt One Road) is the Chinese president's pet project, considered the 21st century equivalent of the old Silk Road. It serves as a trade route running to the Middle East through Central Asia. $40 billion has been allocated as a Silk Road fund which is expected to build infrastructure projects as part of the OBOR. The most important part of OBOR is CPEC. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor consists of a series of infrastructure projects, railways, power plants and airports leading up to the Gawadar port. The CPEC passes through the entire territory of Pakistan, passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) and the southern state of Balochistan. This corridor provides China with an alternative route to the “Malacca Strait” route which hosts the majority of Chinese trade. With Gawadar Port under its move, China could gain a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean while enjoying the benefits brought by China. shortest trade route. Pakistan is on board, as many dozens of other countries join the OBOR initiative. Finally the dragon can begin its march. The story, however, is not as happy as it seems. Not everyone is happy with China's growing ambitions. Especially the superpowers located on the north side of the Pacific Ocean and the second fastest growing economy located south of the Himalayas. “In a globalized world there are many belts and many roads, no nation should put itself in the position of dictating 'One Belt One Road'.” With this statement, Defense Secretary James Mattis made the United States' position very clear. The eagle will not remain idle while the dragon flies upwards. The United States has extended its support to India's demand for intrusion into its sovereignty as the OBOR passes through disputed lands of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The United States is currently on the brink of insecurity and has therefore relaunched two major infrastructure projects worth $20 billion in Southeast Asia, dubbed “The New Silk Road,” as an alternative to China's OBOR. The United States, along with Japan, Australia and India, are in talks to establish a joint regional infrastructure project as an alternative to Beijing's growing influence. The plan of the four regional partners is still in the.