Shared Destiny

BOTH in its scope and ambition， the Belt and Road Initiative is a watershed in humanitys search for a common framework of cooperation able to accommodate the diversity of mankind. It recognizes the general and common desire for a better life and acknowledges humanitys diverse values and unique sensibilities which nourish and invigorate every patch of the earth. It follows the contours of early contacts， through which China engaged with its neighbors and partners in commerce and trade， expanding their viewpoints beyond their immediate domain.

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined an ambitious global roadmap of sophisticated engagements in which ideas， cultures， goods and services would be exchanged within a community of shared destiny. This seamless interconnectivity is to be facilitated by networks of overland and maritime infrastructures.

The global perspective of the initiative holds out enormous prospects for a radical change of the global economic order. The worlds economic landscape has fundamentally changed since the Second World War. But many global multilateral institutions， such as the World Bank， the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization， remain very much the same as they were some 50 to 70 years ago. They need to change and something is needed to stimulate that change. The Belt and Road Initiative and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are needed to bring about that change.

In many developing countries， especially in Africa， the infrastructure deficit has considerably hampered perspectives of sustainable and inclusive growth. The initiative offers a fresh vista to overcome one of the key challenges to sustainable development and win-win cooperation， namely the bottleneck of lack of infrastructure and paucity of funding. Chinas deepening and broad involvement in Africa provides the momentum for accelerating the development of a community of shared destiny.

The Belt and Road Initiative is an open and inclusive framework of broad cooperation that would enhance the structural roadmap of unimpeded trade， mutual sharing and learning of technology and culture. The initiative is part of mankinds unremitting and persistent efforts to establish the material conditions required for the long-cherished desire of mutual learning and cooperation， in spite of geographical divides.

In an era of globalization， China has established enduring relationships with numerous partners on all continents. However， with the exception of Asia， no other continent can rival the extent， the intensity， the speed and the impact of Africas relations with China.

Since the founding of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation（FOCAC） in 2000， cooperation between the two sides has grown phenomenally. The FOCAC Johannesburg Summit held in South Africa last December further enhanced the Sino-African cooperation.

At the summit， President Xi proposed to upgrade the relationship from the earlier “new type of strategic partnership” to “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership，”and outlined 10 cooperative plans. Additionally， China also vowed to provide $60 billion in funding.

In the joint declaration， China and African countries affirmed their belief that “China and Africas development strategies are complementary and characterized by mutual benefit， equality， openness， inclusiveness， accountability and that they demonstrate the possibilities and opportunities of solidarity， mutual support and respect among developing countries.”

As a foremost global trader which engages in extensive and beneficial trade with over 100 countries， China has become Africas largest trading partner.

Through extensive and broad cooperation， China helps and supports the process of general capacity building in African states， and contributes to shaping an inclusive social order， necessary to foster consensus， stability and sustainable development.

Even as most of Africa， especially Central and West Africa， was beyond the original route of the Silk Road， the Belt and Road Initiative is now known to be comprehensive and inclusive. Africas heartland in the continents western and central regions is most open to the connectivity of facilities at the heart of the initiative. Moreover， Africas industrialization， to which China has expressed its strong commitment， would find a powerful catalyst through the establishment of industrial clusters along the Belt and Road Initiative.