In the fifteenth century, the Sultanate of Brunei was an important thalassocracy along the Maritime Silk Road (MSR). However, the arrival of the Europeans and internal changes in China led to the decline of this important trade route and the subsequent decline of the sultanate. The MSR was revitalised by Chinese President Xi Jinping as the twenty-first century iteration in his Belt and Road Initiative to promote and facilitate trade and co-operation for mutual growth and prosperity, as was the case in historical times. However, although Brunei joined this initiative in 2014, its participation has been limited. This is mainly due to structural dissonance in governance resulting from the country’s historical development, which has seen a drastic dislocation of its institutions, economy and environment. As a small, modern nation-state, Brunei lacks the necessary capacity to fully participate in this regional development, leaving the majority of its population cut off from potential opportunities. This chapter examines the key differences between Brunei in the MSR of the fifteenth and twenty-first centuries to understand the current lack of capacity, which in today’s world includes alignment with the principles and goals of sustainable development. The lack of an integrating mechanism is identified as a critical factor. The chapter proposes a mechanism to bridge structural gaps as a means to build the necessary capacity to tap into the opportunities offered by the 21st century MSR.