The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Barrick Gold's chairman John Thornton has been named chairman of Asian investment firm Silk Road Finance Corp. A Bloomberg dispatch to The Globe says Mr. Thornton, 62, was one of the founding partners advising the establishment of Silk Road and will oversee the company's strategy, said chief executive officer Li Shan. "He is one of the best bankers in the world," Mr. Li told The Globe. "He helped build Goldman Sachs's Asia and its European business, and has a very good understanding of the belt and road environment." Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the One Belt, One Road infrastructure program in 2013, aiming to deepen China's economic ties across Asia. The program includes plans to build a "New Silk Road" network of roads, railways, pipelines and ports from Asia to Europe, and will include providing legal services, facilitating capital flows and promoting the Chinese yuan's internationalization along the route. According to Silk Road's website, the company plans to spend $5-billion (U.S.) of capital in a first phase of investment. Mr. Thornton, who sits on the board of Ford Motor, is known for his strong Chinese connections.