In the autumn of 2013, President Xi Jinping successively proposed a major initiative to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Since then, the "Belt and Road" has opened a new page in the development of China and the world
The "Belt and Road" is a major decision made by Xi Jinping to deeply reflect on the future and destiny of mankind and the general development trend of China and the world, and to promote win-win cooperation and common development between China and the world
"The Silk Roads have shaped the world of the past, and even the world of today, and will shape the world of the future."
Data show that in 2021, China's trade volume with countries along the "Belt and Road" reached 1.8 trillion US dollars, an increase of 32.4% year-on-year; Direct investment in countries along the Belt and Road was US$21.46 billion, an increase of 15.3%. In the first quarter of this year, China's non-financial direct investment in countries along the "Belt and Road" was US$5.26 billion, an increase of 19% year-on-year.
The Belt and Road Initiative has become synonymous with health, green development and digital industry, promoting cooperation and collaboration as well as common prosperity and development. "It has equated with a desire for the future for many people."
The "Belt and Road" is not so much a "road" as it is the most important philosophical category in China, "Tao", which contains multiple meanings such as action, strength, initiative and social order.
As one of the most important global public goods proposed by China, the continuous expansion of the "Belt and Road" construction can enable more countries to achieve different degrees of policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people communication
Practice has fully proved that the "Belt and Road" has formed a set of values that are highly consistent with the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, in line with the Chinese nation's concept of the world with soft and distant people and harmony among all nations, and is an important practice platform for promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind
Wen | Liu Si Su liang, a reporter for the "Lookout" news weekly
"This is a great cause that benefits the people of all countries along the way." In September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping said this at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. In the autumn of this year, President Xi Jinping successively proposed a major initiative to jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Since then, the "Belt and Road" has opened a new page in the development of China and the world.
"I put forward the 'Belt and Road' initiative to achieve win-win and shared development." In January 2017, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, President Xi Jinping introduced the "Belt and Road" to the world.
Rooted in history, pointing to the future; Originating from China, it belongs to the world. The "Belt and Road" is a major decision made by Xi Jinping to deeply reflect on the future and destiny of mankind and the general development trend of China and the world, and to promote win-win cooperation and common development between China and the world.
Over the past 8 years, the "Belt and Road" has turned from concept to action, from vision to reality, from the big idea of planning and layout to the stage of high-quality development of intensive cultivation, building the largest international cooperation platform, providing oriental wisdom for the reform of the global governance system, and becoming a vivid practice of promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, which is of great milestone significance in the history of world development.
Tao Li does not speak, and the next is a mystery. China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 149 countries and 32 international organizations to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative; Relevant cooperation concepts and propositions have been written into important outcome documents such as the United Nations, the G20, APEC, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, transformed into international consensus, and received enthusiastic responses and support worldwide.
Today, the century of changes intertwines the epidemic of the century, local conflicts superimpose global challenges, and the world has entered a period of turbulent change, but the theme of the era of peace and development has not changed, and the expectations of the people of all countries for peaceful development and win-win cooperation have become stronger. Adhering to the principle of consultation, co-construction and sharing, adhering to the concept of openness, green and integrity, the "Belt and Road" is committed to high-standard, people-friendly and sustainable cooperation projects, proposing a "new situation" policy to all countries in the world, condensing the strength of the international community to effectively cope with crises and challenges, and opening up a road of opportunity for future global development and prosperity.
As the British historian Peter Francophan put it in his book The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, "The Silk Roads have shaped the world of the past, and even the world of today, and will shape the world of the future." ”
The First Hydropower Project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Karot Hydropower Station Project in Pakistan, will provide clean and cheap electricity to Pakistan and promote the green development of Pakistan (photo taken on April 9, 2022) Courtesy of the Karot Hydropower Project Department of the Three Gorges South Asia Corporation
Seek to develop the greatest common denominator
To the relief of Pakistani youth Arsalan Khan and his partners, on May 12 this year, Unit 2 of the Karot Hydropower Station successfully completed the trial operation, and unit 1, which had completed the trial operation five days ago, was officially connected to the grid.
Arsalan Khan, Manager of the Mechatronic Operations Department of the Karot Hydropower Project, received the "Outstanding Pakistani Employee of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project" medal and prize last December. The award was joined by nearly 30 Pakistani employees from projects in the fields of energy, infrastructure development and industrial cooperation.
As the first hydropower investment project in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Karot Hydropower Station has a total installed capacity of 720,000 kilowatts, with an average annual power generation capacity of about 3.2 billion kWh after being put into operation, meeting the electricity needs of about 5 million local people and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 3.5 million tons per year. This "green pearl" in the emerald mountains of Pakistan's Punjab province and on the Jahelem River is changing the long-term power shortage in the local area, providing sufficient impetus for Pakistan's industrial and economic development.
In Pakistan, projects such as Gwadar Port and lahore Orange Line Subway are changing the lives of locals and enabling many Young Pakistani youth like Al-Saran Khan to learn advanced technologies and gain employment opportunities.
Pakistan's ambassador to China, Moyn Haq, could not help but sigh that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has brought "transformative" improvements to the Pakistani economy and changed the economic, social and industrial landscape of Pakistan. "This is just the beginning."
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is just a microcosm of the more than 8 years since the Belt and Road Initiative was jointly built.
In Greece, the ancient port of Piraeus was given a new lease of life, from the brink of bankruptcy to the fastest growing container port in the world; In Laos, the China-Laos Railway broke through the barrier of heavy mountains and "changed the land lock country into a land alliance country"; In Belarus, the construction of the China-Belarus Industrial Park has brought a modern industrial park to the local area; In Senegal, China provided financing for the implementation of the Senegalese rural well drilling project, which benefited one-seventh of Senegal's population and created jobs for more than 3,000 local people; The China-Europe express train across Eurasia has been "connected into a line" and "woven into a network", and 78 operating lines have been laid out, reaching 180 cities in 23 European countries, transporting more than 50,000 kinds of goods...
"Connecting hearts bridges", "development belts", "prosperous ports", "happiness roads"... This is the biggest change brought to the world by jointly building the "Belt and Road".
Over the past eight years, the "Belt and Road" has adhered to the original intention of development, crossed national borders, time and space, ideology and different stages of development, promoted multi-field interconnection, outlined a new blueprint for cooperation connecting the mainland and the sea, achieved solid and heavy achievements, and become a popular international public product and international cooperation platform in the world today.
"In the more than 8 years since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, countries and regions along the Belt and Road have achieved fruitful results in economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, which proves to the world the value and significance of jointly building the Belt and Road." Fabio Massimo Parenti, an expert at the Italian Lorenzo Medici Institute of International Relations, wrote an article pointing out.
Behind the achievements of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", it is written that China has the original intention of seeking progress for mankind and seeking common ground for the world. Drawing wisdom and strength from the ancient Silk Road, inheriting the spirit of the Silk Road, China is committed to solving multiple problems such as insufficient and unbalanced global development momentum, integrating economic factors and development resources, jointly creating new opportunities for development, seeking new momentum for development, expanding new space for development, and achieving complementary advantages, mutual benefit and win-win results.
Development is the code for China to achieve economic and social miracles, and development is the common aspiration of all mankind. Closely centering on the greatest common denominator of development, seeking common ground while reserving differences, mutually beneficial cooperation, inclusiveness and mutual learning, we can fully achieve common development and common prosperity.
The "Belt and Road" promotes the "hard connection" of infrastructure, makes up for the shortcomings of the development of the jointly built countries, and releases the momentum of global economic development; Promote "soft connectivity" of rules and standards, ensure strategic, planning and policy synergy, and explore new paths for effective global governance; Promote the joint construction of the "heart connection" of the people of the country, provide important support for deepening cooperation, and build a wider circle of friends.
"This is an initiative for development, an initiative for cooperation, an initiative for openness, and an equal and mutually beneficial approach that emphasizes consultation, co-construction, and sharing." In November 2015, President Xi Jinping gave a loud speech at the National University of Singapore.
International affairs are jointly discussed and handled, and the future and destiny of the world are jointly controlled by all countries. The "Belt and Road" adheres to the principle of consultation, co-construction and sharing, and is jointly participated by all countries to achieve common development and prosperity. In the new picture of open and inclusive cooperation across land and sea, there is no solo of one family, but the chorus of countries along the route; Not a private path of one party, but a sunny avenue for everyone to move forward hand in hand; Do not seek a small profit, but a hundred flowers blooming.
The theme of the times of peace and development has not changed, and the general direction of economic globalization has not changed. No one can stop the people of all countries from yearning for a better life. The Belt and Road Initiative originated in China, but the opportunities and achievements belong to the world.
"Jointly building the Belt and Road initiative is a brilliant initiative that is unique in modern history." British scholar Martin Jacques is full of expectations for the "Belt and Road". He said that with the development of time, the "Belt and Road" concept has been constantly figurative, like a natural process of continuous growth and evolution, and no other initiative has ever had such "vitality".
Above: Farmers sell coffee beans at a market in the Goma region of Oromia, Ethiopia, on September 22, 2021 (Photo by Michael Teverd/ Ben);
Below: Barista Jing Jianhua (left) and his partner live-streamed Ethiopian coffee promotion of Ethiopian imported coffee at a café in Gaoqiao Grand Market, Changsha City, Hunan Province, on September 24, 2021 (Photo by Chen Sihan / This magazine)
A hopeful "road to the future"
On May 8, a message excited moroccans in the northwest corner of Africa.
In the early morning of the same day, on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, outside the Luojing Wharf, the 62,000-ton multi-purpose heavy crane "Pilecki" set off for the first time, loaded with the complete equipment of The Chinese Vaccine Factory exported to Morocco.
This is the latest achievement of China's joint production of vaccines with "Belt and Road" countries. As the largest vaccine factory exported by China to Africa, it is expected to achieve local production of more than 20 vaccines, including three new crown vaccines, after completion, which can meet the vaccine needs of more than 60% of the population in Africa.
At present, the epidemic of the century and the century-old changes are intertwined and superimposed, the local conflict is turbulent, various human factors such as sanctions and decoupling have affected the global economy, the uncertainty of world instability has risen significantly, and the world, especially developing countries, has encountered multiple crises: insufficient growth momentum, weak economic recovery, intensified development imbalance, prominent immunization gap, sharp increase in food security risks, and obstruction of cooperation in responding to climate change. The implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development faces unprecedented challenges.
"China will adhere to the goal of high standards, sustainability and benefiting people's livelihood, and actively promote the high-quality joint construction of the 'Belt and Road'." China will unswervingly adhere to the path of peaceful development and always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. On April 21, at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, President Xi Jinping once again declared China's commitment to the world.
Under the new situation, the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", in the road of cooperation, health, recovery and growth step by step, to provide a choice for solving the world's problems facing mankind, inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world, and become an important public product for China to cooperate with the world for win-win cooperation and common development.
Nurturing new opportunities in the midst of crisis. The Belt and Road Initiative paves the way of hope to help the global fight against the epidemic.
From Wuhan to Belgrade, from Yiwu to Malashevic, a special train of anti-epidemic materials between China and Europe has opened up a "life channel" for the fight against the epidemic; Rushing to the aid of South Africa and flying to Argentina, one "vaccine flight" after another raced against the clock, across the mountains and seas, and built an efficient "air bridge"; China and Myanmar cooperate in the production of new crown vaccines, nucleic acid testing "FireEye" laboratories have landed in more than 90 countries and regions, and China's anti-epidemic technologies have benefited local people...
So far, China has provided hundreds of billions of anti-epidemic materials to 153 countries and 15 international organizations, and more than 2.2 billion doses of vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations; China has also launched the Belt and Road Vaccine Partnership Initiative with 30 countries; The "Belt and Road" telemedicine platform and media cooperation platform introduce China's anti-epidemic situation and anti-epidemic measures to the world...
Jointly build the "Belt and Road" to open up new areas with the "Healthy Silk Road" cooperation, promote cooperation in vaccines, health care, biomedicine and other fields, make positive contributions to building a global health defense line, and write a vivid story of fighting the epidemic and promoting development together.
Start a new game in the midst of a change. The construction of the "Digital Silk Road" provides a new driving force for global economic growth.
From April 28th to May 12th, a China-Africa linkage "African Good Things Online Shopping Festival" was very lively. Kenyan black tea, Ethiopian coffee, Rwandan chili sauce, South African wine, Ghanaian chocolate... With the help of digitalization, a large number of African specialty goods have been brought into Chinese homes in multiple live broadcast rooms in China and Africa, and many Chinese companies that want to expand the African market have also provided opportunities.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, this two-way China-Africa economic and trade event attracted the participation of 23 African countries and gathered more than 100,000 brands from more than 1 million merchants in China and Africa.
Ilastas Mwencha, former Vice-Chairman of the African Union Commission, said: "The belt and road projects, including digital infrastructure construction, continue to be carried out, promote connectivity and seamless trade, and have changed the face of Africa and the lives of ordinary people in Africa. ”
With the digital economy enabling high-quality development, China has not only opened up a path of openness and cooperation for itself, but also closely linked the people of all countries through the construction of the "Digital Silk Road" and provided a new driving force for global economic growth.
In Belgium, Cainiao, the largest smart logistics hub in Europe, the Belgian Digital Logistics Hub, mobilizes about 18 cargo flights a week and operates about 60 trucks a day between Liège and major European cities; In the Netherlands, the Eu-China Cross-border E-commerce Association established Europe's first cross-border e-commerce live broadcast incubation base, focusing on cultivating cross-border e-commerce practitioners; In ASEAN, South Asia, West Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and other regions, China's Beidou satellite navigation has provided assistance for the development of smart agriculture, mining and digital construction in the "Belt and Road" countries...
Data show that in 2021, China's trade volume with countries along the "Belt and Road" reached 1.8 trillion US dollars, an increase of 32.4% year-on-year; Direct investment in countries along the Belt and Road was US$21.46 billion, an increase of 15.3%. In the first quarter of this year, China's non-financial direct investment in countries along the "Belt and Road" was US$5.26 billion, an increase of 19% year-on-year.
Thrive on challenges. The "Green Silk Road" helps the world economy to "recover greenly" after the epidemic.
The high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has always run through the concept of green development, focusing on the sustainable development of the longer-term post-epidemic era.
Malta is known as the "heart of the Mediterranean". In the past, heavy oil used to account for the bulk of Malta's energy mix. In 2014, Shanghai Electric Power Co., Ltd. invested in Malta Energy. Malta's transition from burning heavy oil to natural gas with Chinese investment has promoted the use of clean energy while ensuring self-sufficiency in electricity supply. At present, Shanghai Electric Power Co., Ltd. is focusing on the construction of green energy projects in Malta and Montenegro, integrating wind, solar and hydrogen technologies, and is transforming Gozo Island in Malta into the first pilot "zero carbon island" in the European Union.
In this regard, Horst Lecher, a professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany, said that the deepening of green energy cooperation between europe and China will boost confidence in the global energy transition.
From the establishment of the Climate Change South-South Cooperation Fund, building a new platform for global environmental governance, to the implementation of the "Belt and Road" South-South Cooperation Plan to Address Climate Change; From fully supporting global biodiversity conservation and becoming the largest contributor to the Global Environment Facility for developing countries, to promoting the construction of an ecological and environmental protection big data service platform; From promoting the establishment of the "Belt and Road" Green Development International Alliance, to building a multilateral cooperation platform such as the "Belt and Road" green investment principles... The green practice of jointly building the "Belt and Road" countries has continuously made positive progress.
Today, China leads new development with the "Green Silk Road", promotes pragmatic cooperation in green infrastructure, green energy, green transportation, green finance, etc., strengthens technical and industrial cooperation in the fields of energy conservation and emission reduction, clean energy, and circular economy, prevents ecological and environmental risks, helps the world economy to "green recovery" after the epidemic, and makes green the background of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road".
Mahmoud Hassan Khan, Director of the Center for South Asian and International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan, wrote that the Belt and Road Initiative has become a synonym for health, green development, and digital industries, promoting cooperation and collaboration, as well as shared prosperity and development. "It has equated with a desire for the future for many people."
Four bridges in the Five Bridges project undertaken by Chinese companies in Hulhumale, Maldives (Photo taken on March 24, 2022) Courtesy of China Architecture
A new model of global governance
The contribution of a country and a nation to the world and mankind is not only in how much material is created, but also in what ideas are put forward.
Some scholars say that the "Belt and Road" has never been just a road, but an idea, a network of common development, and a bridge connecting global development and culture.
Jointly building the "Belt and Road" is not only economic cooperation, but also an important way to improve the global development model and global governance, and promote the healthy development of economic globalization.
With the development of the times, the shortcomings of the current global governance system have become prominent, and the international community has become more and more vocal about changing the global governance system. No one is an island, promoting the reform of the global governance system is the business of the international community, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" conforms to the voice of the times, highlights the sense of a community of common destiny that is in the same boat and shares rights and responsibilities, and provides new ideas and new solutions for improving the reform of the global governance system.
Consultation, co-construction and sharing are not only the basic principles of jointly building the "Belt and Road" initiative, but also the global governance concept upheld by China.
The "Belt and Road" goes beyond the closed and zero-sum nature of the traditional development model, upholds the principle of consultation, co-construction and sharing, respects equal participation and mutual benefit and win-win results on the basis of the sovereignty of all countries, does not export ideology, does not copy the development model, does not engage in discriminatory and exclusive standards, rules and systems, does not engage in high barriers to trade, investment and technology, but is committed to promoting a more open, equal and inclusive global governance system.
As the Russian Herald once said, the "Belt and Road" is not so much a "road" as it is the most important philosophical category in China, "Tao", which contains multiple meanings such as action, strength, initiative and social order.
At present, the changes in the world, the times, and the history are unfolding in unprecedented ways, posing challenges to mankind that must be taken seriously. The haze of the epidemic is still there, new security risks are coming, and great power competition, group politics, and regional conflicts are undermining global governance mechanisms.
IMF Managing Director Georgieva worries about the growing threat of global fragmentation into several geopolitical and economic blocs. Fragmentation of global governance "may render us completely unable to address other global challenges, such as the existential threat posed by climate change."
In the face of challenges, President Xi Jinping issued a strong voice of the times at the opening ceremony of the 2022 annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia: "All countries in the world are riding on a big boat with a common destiny, and if they want to cross the stormy waves and sail to a bright future, they must work together in the same boat, and it is unacceptable to try to throw anyone into the sea." ”
Hand in hand, walk together. As one of the most important global public goods proposed by China, the continuous expansion of the "Belt and Road" construction can enable more countries to achieve different degrees of policy communication, facility connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people ties, which is conducive to building a community of interests, a community of destiny and a community of responsibility with political mutual trust, economic integration and cultural tolerance, which is of far-reaching and lasting significance for maintaining world peace and stability and achieving win-win and shared development.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the "Belt and Road" construction closely links the people of all countries along the route, is committed to win-win cooperation and common development, and allows the people of all countries to better share the fruits of development, which is also an important goal of China's initiative to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.
Practice has fully proved that the "Belt and Road" has formed a set of values that are highly consistent with the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, in line with the Chinese nation's concept of the world with soft and distant people and harmony among all nations, and is an important practice platform for promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Martin Arboraux, a British sociologist and one of the initiators of the concept of globalization, said in the book "China's Role in the Community of Shared Future for Mankind - Towards Global Leadership Theory" that the "Belt and Road" connects China's peaceful development with the prosperity and happiness of the entire world.
"The Belt and Road Initiative will change the world." Martin Jacques said.
(Participating in the writing: Li Hao, Jiang Chao, Wang Huan, Bai Lin, Kang Yi, Zhang Dailei, Liang Xizhi, Yu Jiaxin) ■