LETTER | In school, we learned about how the Chinese expanded their empire. From the from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) to the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC).

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and created for himself the title of Huangdi or "Emperor" of the Qin, marking the beginning of Imperial China which was followed by the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).

China's last dynasty was the Qing (1644–1912) which was replaced by the Republic of China in 1912, and in the mainland by the People's Republic of China in 1949, resulting in two de facto states claiming to be the legitimate government of all China.

Puyi or Pu Yi (Feb 7, 1906 – Oct 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing dynasty.

Until recently, Chinese interest in world domination has slowed down. Previously the expansion of the Chinese empire was via brute force, threats and military intervention.

That has changed recently via the “One Belt One Road” economic strategy. They are now conquering the world slowly and using a far more refined method i.e. funding, construction and placement of their people. Believe it or not, China is on its way to conquer the world.

From East Asia to Central Asia and Africa, they have their projects in place. They have conquered and expanded one of the Spratly Islands despite world objection. Then they focussed on Kuantan with their ECRL project which includes the development of Chinese industries.

In Kuantan, they have a private enclave. In Johor, the Forest City project is meant to accommodate up to 700,000 Chinese nationals. The Forest City project is the entry point into Singapore and the south of Peninsular Malaysia.

Elsewhere, they have built the 1,300 km Karakoram Highway into Pakistan in the north and then they have built the port city of Gwadar that will hold 500,000 Chinese in close surroundings. They own the city and the port. Gwadar is to have access to the Middle East and Iran.

In Sri Lanka, they built the port city of Hambantota which is now owned by China for 99 years. They have their own port projects in Kenya and Djibouti as a result of the Africans' inability to pay back their debt.

It reminds me of how Japan had placed its population across Asia years ahead before they entered WWII. The Americans have also been doing the same for past 50 years albeit using a different strategy.

They built bases all over the world. I think the Chinese prefer to conquer via economic measures. They want to push their products and their millions of people all over the world.

The world needs to wake up to this reality. How else are they going to sell their products and shift their populations from their overcrowded country?

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.