A Geocultural Power Competition in UNESCO’s Silk Roads Project: China’s Initiatives and the Responses From Japan and South Korea

China's growing influence within UNESCO's Silk Roads project, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative, reflects its strategic efforts to reshape international narratives around its historical connections with Eurasia. However, Japan and South Korea, as key stakeholders in the eastern Silk Roads heritage, are actively responding to these initiatives. This study reveals a geocultural competition where memory infrastructure plays a pivotal role in shaping historical and contemporary landscapes. By analyzing responses from Japan and South Korea, it highlights the competitive dynamics of transnational heritage projects and their implications for global heritage politics.

Nakano, R. (2022). A Geocultural Power Competition in UNESCO’s Silk Roads Project: China’s Initiatives and the Responses From Japan and South Korea. Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 52(2), 185–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/18681026221094054