China takes Silk Road to challenge US role in Asia

　　BEIJING, Nov. 12- “The Silk Road, no longer just a concept in history books, has evolved into a story of modem logistics and Sino-European co-operation” Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat, told a conference this month.

　　The new Silk Road economic belt, from China across Central Asia and Russia to Europe, and the 21st-century maritime Silk Road-through the Malacca Strait to India, the Middle East and East Africa-have become centerpiece of China’s economic diplomacy.