Professor John Bew observes:
“Today, one
explanation for Eurasia’s growing importance is its richness in minerals,
fuels, foods and other natural resources. Almost 70 per cent of global oil
reserves and 65 per cent of natural gas reserves are in the Middle East, Russia
and central Asia. More than half of global wheat production takes place across
the same steppes and plains, while south Asia accounts for nearly 85 per cent
of global rice production. Those who envisage the future in terms of cyberspace
and artificial intelligence are apt to miss the vital importance of raw
materials for modern technology, such as silicon (75 per cent of which is found
in Russia and China).”
The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future
of the World by Peter Frankopan
