"I am glad to see Prof Da Hsuan Feng has a chance to exhibit the full potential of an intellectual with a scientific background in writing this book. Very few people can write this book as well as Prof. Feng, whose multinational experience has been put to full use in this book, as if he has been preparing for writing this authoritative book on BRI all his life. The book not only offers readers a comprehensive understanding of BRI, but also provides a potential blueprint of the international impact of BRI." [Read full review]
Hugh Ching
Founder of Post-Science Institute
"Although Da Hsuan has published more than 200 academic papers, he doesn't fill his book with jargon. Many examples in the book drew from Da Hsuan's multi-decade globetrotting experience as a higher education pioneer, making them very interesting to read. To write a book about BRI that can be appreciated by people with contrasting views is a daunting task. With an unparalleled understanding of both western and eastern cultures, Da Hsuan's new book did just that. For anyone who wants to understand what BRI means to China and countries along its route, Da Hsuan's book will provide a unique perspective that you will not find anywhere else." [Read full review]
Max Lu
Director, Academic Partnership & Research
Los Angeles Times
"The author was born in India and has lived in many countries, and therefore has a deep understanding of global perspectives. His book provides in-depth understanding and also removes a lot of misconceptions related to BRI, that has been fueling in recent times. It also provides deep insights and motivation as to why it is particular important for individuals (people) in China and around the world to come together for global peace. I would strongly recommend academicians to go through the book in detail to understanding the meaning and purpose of BRI."
Associate Professor Ankit Garg
Shantou University, China
"The world is at a defining crossroads. Is the world heading towards a more prosperous, shared destiny or slipping into a Thucydides Trap? How should different cultures understand one another better, not just to reduce hostility, but also to create a better future? In what ways might the Belt and Road Initiative impact the world? Professor Da-Hsuan Feng's globe-trotting life's journey has enabled him to develop a keen understanding of major cultures and civilisations on this planet. Taking the bull by the horns, Feng examines a broad range of critical global challenges, with insightful analyses and light-hearted anecdotes. If this book is read by enough political, business and thought leaders, we would be far more likely to be able to leave the world a better place than we found it for our next generations."
TEO Tat Khai
NUS, Singapore
"I just finished reading Da Hsuan Feng's new book China's Millennium Transformation: The Belt and Road Initiative (Singapore: World Scientific, 2020). This is not an ordinary research monograph about the BRI that one would expect, but a unique treatise of the project in the broad context of China’s rich history and robust culture, combined with the author's intriguing personal experiences over decades." [Read full review]
Professor Zhiqun Zhu
Bucknell University, USA
Foreword
In 2013, the President of China, Xi Jinping spoke for the first time in public about a philosophy and ideas that would underpin what became known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As Feng Da Hsuan, the author of the current book explains, this thinking represented a significant departure from the way China had previously thought about itself, conducted its affairs and engaged with the world.
As he relates in the opening chapter, Da Hsuan did not particularly follow Xi Jinping's speeches on this topic in the early years and therefore did not appreciate the significance and implications of these new ideas and concepts. All of that changed in July 2016 when Da Hsuan was invited to give a speech on the BRI in Singapore. Following his custom, Da Hsuan, understanding how little he understood about the concept at that time, conducted extensive research on the topic and began to think about its significance and implications. Since that time, he has given innumerable presentations on BRI, all fashioned with his typical flair, at many prestigious institutions and universities. It is fair to say that BRI has dominated his thinking over the last several years. The initial chapter describes the genesis of his thinking and actions with respect to the BRI and where that led. The current book, China's Millennium Transformation: The Belt and Road Initiative, is a summary, distillation and presentation of Da Hsuan’s deep thinking and reflections on the topic, how it may influence China's policies and geopolitical aspirations and its relationship with other countries in Asia and around the world.
His thinking is captured in three ideas that represent the major intellectual contributions of the book. These are the ideas that the BRI could lead to: i) a supercontinent that would bring Europe and Asia closer together, ii) neo-renaissance thinking that would unite the intellectual and cultural traditions of the East and the West, and iii) a change in how China communicates about itself and its culture to the rest of the world. Each of these ideas is explored in detail in three interesting chapters, one devoted to each of these themes. A recurring theme is why the BRI emerged in 2013 and not before. The reader will not be surprised to read that the spectacular economic growth and influence of China are seen as major contributors. The reader may be surprised to read Da Hsuan's assessment, though, of the predominance of the role of Xi Jinping in the development and implementation of BRI.
This exposition is followed by a set of fascinating and engaging case studies that capture Da Hsuan's life history and experiences throughout his illustrious career that influenced his thinking about the origins and implications of BRI. Case studies are unusual in a book like this, but they make for compelling reading. Each case is also brought back to the central themes of the book. Specifically, the implications of the BRI policy to the countries discussed and their future relationship to China. The discussion of the relationship between China and India, two Asian giants that have not enjoyed necessarily the most harmonious or aligned policies and cultures, is particularly fascinating. It is also deeply personal to the author given that India is his country of birth but China's special areas (Taiwan and Macao) are the places in which he has spent so many of his recent years. Personally, I also resonated strongly to two of his other case studies. One was his description and interpretation of the meaning of the Jewish community in Kaifeng China in the Song Dynasty nearly 1000 years ago. The other was his analysis of Canada, my home country, and the lessons that my country could derive from BRI and the current geopolitical thinking in China. The implications of BRI for other Asian countries, like Singapore and Vietnam are also discussed. Given the years he spent in universities as both an academic and administrator, Da Hsuan is also not hesitant to expound on the role of universities in society, the differences between Asian and Western universities, and how universities could promote and teach about China and the BRI. The book ends with a useful set of recommendations for China—how it might best promote and spread the BRI.
Those of us (and there are thousands) who have followed Da Hsuan's writings and talks throughout the years will not be surprised by the nature and style of the book. He has a flair for presentation, a mixture of story-telling supported by facts and figures. He uses personal anecdotes and his life history to elucidate and underscore important points. He thinks in broad sweeps. There are not many who attempt to link events and actions of hundreds or thousands of years ago and show how they are relevant to what is happening today. I do not know how many followers Da Hsuan has on Facebook or other social media, but I can tell you that there are thousands of us who follow his writing. Graphics and pictures of luminaries are used extensively in the book — they make the reading engaging and pleasurable. You may not agree with all of Da Hsuan's conclusions and opinions presented in the book, but you will not find them boring. Readers will learn a lot from this book, everything from history, science, politics, biographies of the famous and world events. Throughout his career, Da Hsuan has always been an educator. This book is a shining example of his continuing in this tradition.
Da Hsuan is perhaps the most eminently qualified individual I know to write this book. Born in India, raised in Singapore, educated in the United States and a working career in that country and Asia, few have had the life experiences, personal and professional, to address the broad range of issues and topics covered in the various chapters. It is no wonder that he is a much sought after lecturer on the BRI and, in general, on China and other countries' relationships to it.
Unlike Da Hsuan, I am neither a physicist nor rocket scientist, but it does not take a rocket scientist to predict that this book by Da Hsuan, written now, may be the most significant contribution he has made to intellectual thought. Even absent the American isolationist policies of Donald Trump, the economic growth and influence of China — which are so well detailed in the book — make China a world superpower that rivals, and may eclipse, the influence, economic and social aspects of the United States. If nothing else, the world's ability to handle its significant issues — like climate change, economic crises or pandemics — is going to depend upon cooperation and collaboration with China. As Da Hsuan so aptly describes in his book, Europe and the United States do not understand China well. This has to change, and this book by Da Hsuan is a significant and important primer for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of China and Asia. It was a pleasure to read. I learned a great deal. It was entertaining and informative. What more could a reader ask for?
Harvey P Weingarten
President Emeritus, University of Calgary
Past President, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
April 27, 2020
Da Hsuan Feng (冯达旋) is currently the Honorary Dean of Hainan University Belt and Road Research Institute and the Chief Advisor of China Silk Road iValley Research Institute. He grew up in Singapore and received his physics PhD from the University of Minnesota (1972). He was the M Russell Wehr Chair Professor of Drexel University. He also served as the United States National Science Foundation Program Director in Theoretical Physics for two years. Since 2002, Feng had taken roles as the Vice President for Research at the University of Texas at Dallas, the Senior Vice President of National Cheng Kung University, National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and Special Advisor to the Rector and Director of Global Strategies of Macau University.
Feng is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and had been the honorary professor of fifteen Chinese universities which includes Peking Union Medical College, Fudan University, Jilin University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Applied Physics. Feng was the 2009 Bian-Zhong laureate for individuals with outstanding contributions to Hubei Province (2009 年度湖北省编钟奖). He was also the recipient of "The Light of Civilization, the 2017 Chinese Cultural Exchange Award" 文明之光·2017 中国文化交流年度人物.
Feng was an honorary Board of Trustee of Nanjing University, a member of the Board of Trustees of Shantou University (2006–2015) and a member of the Academic Advisory Board of Universiti Teknologi Petronas of Malaysia and Binus University of Indonesia. Feng is also a frequent author or co-author of editorials of major newspaper in East Asia, in Chinese and English. This includes China's China Daily, Global Times, UK's Financial Times Chinese Edition, and South China Morning Post of HK, Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore. He is the author of two books, Edu-Renaissance: Notes from a Globetrotting Higher Educator, and Belt and Road Initiative: Chinese Version of "Marshall Plan"?, both published by Singapore's World Scientific Publishing Co.
