ThisgreatprojectwasfirstproposedbyChina,buttheopportunitiesandachievementsaresharedbytheworld.Againstthebackdropoftradeprotectionism,unilateralism,isolationism,andothervirulenttrends,theopenglobaleconomyandthemultilateraltradingsystemhavesufferedtremendously.China’spromotionoftheBeltandRoadundertakingembodiesChina’scommitmenttoitsinternationalresponsibilityasaresponsiblecountry,highlightingitsinternationalsignificance,andthevaluesofthetimes.
First,thegrowthoftheworldeconomyhasentereda“newmediocre”era,buttheBeltandRoadInitiativecanleadtoanewroundofenergizedproductivityfortheAfro-Eurasianregiontoadvanceglobaleconomicdevelopment.Theterm“newmediocre”wasproposedbyChristineLagarde,chiefoftheInternationalMonetaryFund,todescribethecurrentstateoftheworldeconomyandthedevelopmentprospectsintheyearstocome.Atpresent,therecoveryoftheworldeconomyremainsslowanduneven,globaleconomicgrowthlacksmomentum,andthenewroundoftechnologicalandindustrialrevolutionisstillatanembryonicstage.Thereisnosubstantialprogressinkeyinnovationoftechnologiesandbusinessmodels.Intheshortterm,itseemsdifficulttoformanew,strongpointofeconomicgrowth.
Economicglobalizationandreverseglobalizationcoexistsimultaneously:topromoteeconomicrecovery,manycountriesresorttotradeprotectionism,increasingtradefrictions.Thepreviousroundofeconomicglobalizationhasfailedtoachievegeneral,balanced,andinclusivedevelopment,andhasinsteadwidenedthegapbetweentherichandthepoorandledtoashiftinclassstructures.
ManycountriesalongtheBeltandRoad,whichhavebeenignoredandneglectedformanyyearsbyalargenumberofdevelopedcountriesandmultinationalbusinesses,considertheBeltandRoadInitiativeasahistoricopportunityforshakingoffpovertyandachievingdevelopment.AsChina’sinfrastructureprojectsandindustrialinvestmentsspreadtothesedevelopingcountries,theyandtheirpeoplewillreapthebenefits.TheinitiativewillhelpachieveintegrationandcommondevelopmentinEurope,Asia,andAfrica,andpromotemodernizationofglobalinfrastructuretobuildthefoundationforasustainableglobaleconomy.OnMay31,2017,anexcitedpassengerdisplayshisticketontheinaugurationofthestandardrailroadfromMombasatoNairobiattheNairobiTerminal,Kenya.
OntheafternoonofOctober8,2017,inLahore,thegrandreceptionceremonyformetrolinerailroadcarsfromChinaisunderway.Secondly,fromthepointofviewoftheinternationalmechanisms,thereisaseriousdeficitinglobalgovernance.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisChina’sviablesolutionforimprovingglobalgovernance.Atpresent,thesetbackineconomicglobalization,thefragmentationofregionalcooperation,climatechange,migration,terrorism,andotherthornyissuesofglobalgovernancearebecomingincreasinglydire.Theinternalproblemsofsomecountriesarespillingovertheirborders,andtheexistinginternationalmechanismsarefindingitdifficulttoadapt.
Facedwiththeseweaknesses,reformoftheinternationalsystemfaltersandsputters.TheG20hasplayedanimportantroleinovercomingtheinternationalfinancialcrisis,butintheenditismostlyanexpedientarrangementtodealwiththecrisis.ThereisnoclearplansofarfortheG20tointegratewithexistinginternationalmechanismstoincreaseitseffectiveness.Issuesofglobalandregionalgovernance,suchasinternationalexchangeratenegotiationmechanisms,internationalcapitalflows,regulatorymechanismsforfinancialderivativeinstrument,aswellaschallengestomultilateraltraderules,needtobeaddressed.
ThroughtheBeltandRoadInitiative,Chinaactivelypromotesanewglobalizationmechanism,andgivesamodernversionofglobalizationinAsiaPacificaswellastherestoftheworld.Thecountryhasbecomethechampionoffreetradeandthedefenderofinternationalrules.Asthesecondlargesteconomyintheworld,theleadingindustrialgoodsexporter,andthelargesttradingpartnerofmorethan120countries,ChinahasgivennewimpetustoglobalizationandglobalgovernancethroughtheBeltandRoadInitiative.
Third,fromthepointofviewofthecountriesconcerned,theBeltandRoadInitiativehelpstopromotecoordinateddevelopmentbetweendifferentregionsandcountries.Differentfromthetraditionalfreetradezonesandcustomsunions,theinitiativeisopenandinclusive.Itfocusesonintegrationwithexistinginternationalmechanismsandnationaldevelopmentstrategies.Itdoesnotpresupposepreconditions,pursueunilateralinstitutionalarrangements,orseektosatisfyitsowninterestsattheexpensesofothers’.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeemphasizesthediversityandcomplementarityofcountriesthatcooperate,andensuresthesatisfactionandparticipationofallparties.
Attheinternationallevel,theUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme,theUnitedNationsIndustrialDevelopmentOrganization,theUnitedNationsHumanSettlementsProgram,theInternationalCivilAviationOrganization,theInternationalMaritimeOrganization,theWorldHealthOrganization,allseekconcordwiththeinitiative.TheUnitedNationsGeneralAssemblyandtheSecurityCouncilhavebothincludedtheBeltandRoadinrelevantresolutionsanddevelopmentprograms.OnJune22,2016,constructionbeginsontheFriendshipTunneloftheChina-LaosRailway.Attheregionallevel,theAsia-PacificEconomicCooperation,theEurasianEconomicUnion,theShanghaiCooperationOrganization,theAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations,andtheEuropeanUnionhaveallsplicedtheirinterconnectivityandinvestmentplanswiththeinitiative.
Atthenationallevel,manycountriessuchasKazakhstan,Mongolia,Vietnam,Indonesia,andTurkeyhavebeguntolinktheirnationaldevelopmentplanstotheBeltandRoad.Underthisinitiative,allparticipatingcountriesareequal,andtheresultsoftheircooperationaremeanttobenefitallinvolved.Itfocusesonbuildingeconomiclinksofcooperationbetweendifferentregions,countries,andfields,promotingdevelopmentthroughcooperation,aswellaspromotingmutualbenefitsthroughcommunication.
ThepracticesofthelastfiveyearsshowthattheBeltandRoadInitiativeisnota“geopoliticalstrategy”asithasbeenslanderedbysomeWesternthinktanks,anditdoesnotseektoexpandtheChinese“sphereofinfluence”norexportthe“Chinesemodel.”Withitsownexperienceandpractice,Chinaactivelypromotesthedevelopmentoftheworldeconomyinamoresustainabledirection.
JINXINisdirectorofChinaCenterforContemporaryWorldStudiesandsecretarygeneraloftheBeltandRoadInternationalThinkTankCooperationAlliance.