任平生发表文章说,工业革命之前的很长一段时期里,海洋文明与大陆文明各具特色,难分伯仲。在某种程度上,大陆上一些地区的文明甚至更为高级。十世纪时,一位阿拉伯地理学家曾嘲笑西欧人“人高马大、言语粗俗、举止野蛮、头脑愚钝……”。在古代中国,西域的文明也很发达,丝绸之路 Ren Pingsheng published an article saying that for a long time prior to the industrial revolution, marine civilization and mainland civilization had their own unique characteristics. In some ways, civilization in some parts of the continent is even more advanced. In the 10th century, an Arabian geographer once ridiculed Western Europeans of “high human beings, vulgar expressions, barbarous acts, dull minds ...”. In ancient China, civilization in the western region was also well developed and the Silk Road