Belt and Road Initiative:Bringing Opportunities to China and the World

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 17 that China will hold the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation （BRF） in Beijing this May. Leaders from relevant countries will be invited to the Leaders Roundtable， the highlight of the forum， to discuss two major topics： policy synergy for closer partnership and connectivity cooperation for interconnected development.

In September 2013 when Xi visited countries in Central Asia， he raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt； and weeks later when he visited Southeast Asian countries， he proposed jointly building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Collectively called the Belt and Road Initiative， the scheme aims to incorporate the development strategies of countries along the routes， so complementing one anothers strengths， and promoting common development.

The initiative brings new opportunities to both China and the rest of the world by helping many Asian countries to improve their inadequate infrastructure and so enable their deeper and more equitable participation in the global market.

The initiative passes down and enriches the spirit of the ancient Silk Road. It promotes policy coordination， facilities connectivity， unimpeded trade， financial integration， and people-to-people bonds， emphasizing win-win cooperation， inclusiveness， fairness， and benefits for all.

Over the past three years， the initiative， which embraces globalization， has seen remarkable progress and achievements far beyond peoples expectations. Over 100 countries and international organizations have participated in the initiative， among which 40 have signed cooperation agreements with China. Relevant resolutions and documents of the UN General Assembly， the UN Security Council， the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific， the Asia-Europe Meeting， and the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program all include the content of the initiative. As of today， infrastructure construction programs with investments exceeding US $10 billion have been carried out and completed. Railways have been built connecting Asia and Europe， and communication and exchanges have increased among people in the countries along the Belt and Road.

In the present climate of rising trade protectionism and anti-globalization， China has put forward the Belt and Road Initiative as its contribution towards improved global governance. The project should be jointly built， through consultation， to meet the interests of all concerned. It supports inclusive globalization and urges the international community to abandon obsolete Cold War thinking and zero-sum mentality. Through enhancing interconnectivity， it promotes the building of a community of shared interests and common goals， injecting new vigor and vitality into globalization.

Therefore， Chinas proposal is in fact a new model for growth. In that sense， the Belt and Road Initiative marks a new start for Chinas relations with the rest of the world， and for the common development of human society. It ushers in a new era of lasting peace， win-win cooperation， sharing， and common prosperity.

By convening the BRF at this critical stage of the Belt and Road Initiative， the Chinese government clearly wants to make it an opportunity to review the past and plan for the future. It is willing to hold joint discussions with relevant countries on building new platforms for cooperation and sharing their fruits. It moreover seeks solutions to the problems facing the world and regional economies and to inject new energy into interconnected development.

From the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders Week in Beijing， to the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit， to this years BRF（despite their different themes） China has adhered to the concepts of openness， inclusiveness， and win-win cooperation， as well as to its commitment to share the fruits of development with the rest of the world.

The BRF is a vehicle for our joint efforts， in the spirit of unity， win-win cooperation， mutual benefit， and common development to promote the Belt and Road Initiative， build solid foundations for global economic growth and deepened regional cooperation， establish a fair and inclusive new international order to benefit people around the world， and create a better future.