The Silk Road became the main east–west trading route in the Asian hinterlands while the Straits of Malacca stood as a major sea route.
ðə sˈɪlk ɹˈoʊd bɪkˌeɪm ðə mˈeɪn ˈiːst wˈɛst tɹˈeɪdɪŋ ɹˈaʊt ɪnðɪ ˈeɪʒən hˈɪntɚləndz wˌaɪl ðə stɹˈeɪts ʌv mˈælækə stˈʊd æz ɐ mˈeɪdʒɚ sˈiː ɹˈaʊt.