So it's not surprising why the majority of test trains were sent through the routes that are placed to the south of Russia.

However it would not be wise to underestimate the strategic reality. The very strategic calculation was one of the key reasons for the "Belt and Road" concepts.

The geopolitical imperatives for China's westward turn are clear – to take precaution against the risk of a naval blockade by the US in case of possible worsening of relations.

This possibility has also prompted China to speed up and diversify its activities, as well as to create means of supporting it along different lines.

Taking into account such a reality, it's not difficult to understand that Washington would try to persuade many loyal and dependent allies, located along the "south routes" (Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia) to cut transportation lines between China and Western Europe and to conduct a land blockade. Analyzing the "Road and Belt" project's future from this angle, we should conclude that only a "northern land line" via Russia despite its lower economic attractiveness would remain a single trouble-free and reliable artery that can guarantee Chinese cargo can be delivered to Eurasia.

In case of such a geopolitical reality, Moscow can offer an optimistic assessment and to forecast that China's new Silk Road will succeed.

Alexander Vorontsov:

Ph.D. (History), head of the Department for Korean and Mongolian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russia Academy of Sciences and the MGIMO-University associate professor. He also holds post as Russian Military Science Academy Professor.