In September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a Silk Road Economic Belt and in October, a 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, together now referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative attracted considerable attention from the international community and won a positive response from the countries involved. The initiative is a Chinese program whose goal is to maintain an open world economic system, and achieve diversified, independent, balanced, and sustainable development, and also a Chinese proposal intended to advance regional cooperation, strengthen communications between civilizations, and safe-guard world peace and stability.
China upholds the Silk Road spirit characterized by “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, mutual benefit and win-win results,” adheres to the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, constantly expands cooperation and consensus with countries along the Belt and Road, and works to translate the initiative from plan to cooperative action with the participation of all parties involved.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to the Belt and Road. It has established a leading group on the initiative, whose office has been set up under the National Development and Reform Commission. To implement those B&R cooperation agreements that have been signed, the office has developed a work program to promote step by step cooperation with the relevant countries.
Five routes for the Belt and Road
The Silk Road Economic Belt has three routes:
I from Northwest China and Northeast China to Europe and the Baltic Sea via Central Asia and Russia;
II from North-west China to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea, passing through Central Asia and West Asia;
III from Southwest China through the Indochina Peninsula to the Indian Ocean
The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road has two major routes:
I starts from coastal ports of China, crosses the South China Sea, passes through the Malacca Strait, and reaches the Indian Ocean, extending to Europe;
II starts from coastal ports of China, crosses the South China Sea, and extends to the South Pacific.
A framework including six corridors, six means of communication, multiple countries, and multiple ports.
The “six corridors” are: the New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor, the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor, the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor.
The “six means of communication” are rail, high-ways, seagoing transport, aviation, pipelines, and aerospace integrated information network, which comprise the main targets of infrastructure connectivity.
“Multiple countries” refer to a number of countries along the Belt and Road that first joined the initiative.
“Multiple ports” refer to a number of ports that ensure safe and smooth sea passages. By building a number of important ports and key cities with countries along the Belt and Road, China works to promote maritime cooperation.
New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor
China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor
China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor
China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor
Boosting infrastructure development to enhance trans-national and cross-regional
connectivity is a priority area for cooperation.
Further cooperation in finance, unimpeded currency circulation, and stronger financing will create a stable financial environment for the Belt and Road Initiative. This will play a positive role in guiding various sources of capital to engage in developing the real economy, in value chain creation, and in promoting the healthy growth of the global economy.
China is committed to building a green Silk Road. It applies a green development philosophy to B&R cooperation activities.
The building of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road relies on maritime cooperation – the development of maritime trade, economy and connectivity, the building of a number of ports, and the maintenance of a safe and smooth sea passage.
Policy communication is of crucial importance to the Belt and Road Initiative. Cooperative mechanisms are effective channels for facilitating policy communication.
High-level visits between B&R countries have provided a strong political driving force for the initiative.
China is committed to maximizing win-win cooperation by pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative and seeking the optimal combination of the initiative with the development strategies of other B&R countries.
The role of bilateral mechanisms is continuously reinforced to enhance connectivity, trade and investment, production capacity cooperation, cultural ex-changes, and other key fields of the Belt and Road Initiative.
We shall join our hands to create a brighter future for all countries as the common interests of humanity are fundamental to every nation and country and depend on the development of a community of shared future.
China, the initiator of Belt and Road Initiative, has put the initiative into responsible practice. Over the past three years, the Belt and Road Initiative has grown from an embryonic proposal into a network. A cooperation pattern of shared growth through discussion and collaboration has taken shape.