{
    "byline": "By Ruobing Fang",
    "charset": "UTF-8",
    "dir": null,
    "excerpt": "The Ming Dynasty navigator Zheng He is often closely associated with Xi Jinping\u2019s Belt and Road narrative. But the historical figure has been used as a diplomatic tool for decades, long before Xi launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).",
    "lang": null,
    "length": 8953,
    "publishedTime": null,
    "siteName": null,
    "title": "What Zheng He\u2019s Changing Role Reveals About China\u2019s Maritime Strategy"
}