TurningaNewPageinWorldHistory
GiovanniAndornino,associateprofessorattheUniversityofTurininItaly
GiovanniAndornino(left)takesagroupphotowithotherItaliandelegatesoutsidetheChinaNationalConventionCenterinBeijing.courtesyofGiovanniAndorninoPresidentXi’sspeechattheopeningceremonycontainedextensivereferencestoanoft-forgottenpastthatalreadyboundtheEurasianspacetogetheracrosstheages.China’sdesiretoreinforceothercountries’regionalstrategiesforconnectivityisapotentialgame-changerforgrowthinAsiaandfortheadvancementofagendasthatcanfosterhumandevelopmentfromtheAtlantictothePacific.
IwashappytonoteItalianPrimeMinisterPaoloGentiloni’spresenceattheforum.Itisamomentofgreatresponsibility.Itisanexcitingnewphaseinworldhistory.Eventhoughtransitionsoccurgradually,theBeltandRoadForumwasoneofthosemomentswhenyouperceivetheshiftingshapeofglobalorder.
ThepreviousSilkRoadsexistedattimesofpeaceandstability,buttodayflashpointsandstructuralfissuresintheglobalorderareclearlyvisible.TheBeltandRoadInitiativewillhavetomitigateandcontributetoovercomingthesechallengesinordertobeimplementedsuccessfully.
ThefoundationoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeisChina’swisdom,anditscapacitytogenerateopportunitiesforwin-wingrowth.IfChinacanleadprocessesthatspurhumandevelopment,peaceandstabilityacrossEurasia,shewillhavegainedothers’trustandcontributedimmenselytoherownfutureandthatoftheworld.
ANewModelforGlobalEconomicCooperation
MushahidHussainSayed,chairmanofthePakistanParliamentaryCommitteeontheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC)
May14,2017:MushahidHussainSayeddeliversaspeechattheThematicSessiononPeople-toPeopleConnectivityoftheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperationinBeijing.byLiuHailePresidentXimadeabrilliantandcomprehensivespeech,whichwasveryscientificandwell-organized.Containingabundantinformation,hisspeechnotonlygaveahistoricalcontextfortheSilkRoadincludingbothlandandsearoutes,butalsotalkedabouthowconnectivitywasachievedinthepast.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisanewmodelforglobaleconomiccooperationthataimstoincludeeverybody,andPresidentXigaveconcretestepstoturnthatvisionintoreality.ThisInitiativeisprobablythemostimportantdiplomaticanddevelopmentinitiativeofthe21stCentury.
TheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridoristhebiggestcooperativeprojectinthehistoryofinternationalrelationsbetweenanytwocountries.Itisasuccessstory,andtheBeltandRoadInitiativeisalsoasuccessstory.
RespectingOtherCivilizationsIsImportant
SamehEl-Shahat,presidentofChina-ILtd.
May14,2017:SamehEl-Shahat,presidentofChina-ILtd.,isinterviewedbyjournalists.byLiuHailePresidentXicalledthespiritoftheSilkRoadpartofthe“greatheritage”ofhumancivilizationandsaidthattheBeltandRoadshouldbea“roadofcivilization,”alongwhichdifferentcountriesunderstand,respectandtrusteachother.
Theideaofrespectingothercountries’civilizationsisverynew.Ifyouputittogetherwithinvestment,itoffersadifferentwayofthinking.Ifyoudon’trespectanothercountry’scivilization,youcannotinvestthereinthelongterm.Toachievesustainedinvestment,acountrymustrespectthetargetcountry’scivilization.Youcannotdoitanyotherway.Thisisimportantandshouldbeunderstoodbyothercountries.
ChinatreatsothercountriesasfriendsundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,whichisanewidea.Noteverythingisaboutmoney,butaboutcontribution.
PeacebeforeProsperity
WaliZahid,presidentoftheInstituteofMediaandCommunicationsinPakistan
WaliZahidattheChinaNationalConventionCenterinBeijing.courtesyofWaliZahidPresidentXiisnowrevivingtheancientSilkRoad.He’salsoclearthattherelationsbetweenpartnercountriesoftheBeltandRoadhavetobe“partnerships,”butnolonger“alliances,”asthepreviousworldalignmentinaunipolarorbipolarworldhasdemonstrated.
PresidentXiemphasizedpeacefirst,beforementioningprosperity.HeknowshowterrorismandconflictcouldendangertheworldandsabotageChina’seffortstoliftthemassesoutofpoverty.HealsoknowsthatChinahastoclearupthemessresultingfromvestedinterestsandcontinuingterrorandviolence,whichtroublessomeregionsoftheworld.
Chinaneedstotreatallcountrieswithrespectandhumility.ItcouldbeusefultohavemutualconsultationsofallstakeholdersoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,deeperunderstandingoflocalcultures,andtransparentdealingsatallstagesofprojectlife.Theuseoflocalthinktanksandsocialmedia,inadditiontomainstreamlocalmedia,canbehelpfulingivingasensetolocalsthattheirsensibilitieshavebeentakenintoaccount.RidingtheGreenSilkRoad
MarcoLambertini,directorgeneralofWorldWideFundforNature(WWF)International
MarcoLambertinibecamedirectorgeneralofWWFInternationalinApril2014,leadingthecentralsecretariatteamoftheWWFnetwork.byGuoShashaThisisnotthefirsttimePresidentXihasmentionedtheimportanceofgreendevelopment,whichreflectsastrongunderstandingofthevalueofahealthydevelopmentandhealthysociety.Thisisverywelcome.HehassetthetonethattheBeltandRoadInitiativeshouldnotjustpromotedevelopment,butalsopromotesustainabledevelopment.
TheBeltandRoadInitiativehastwokeydimensions.Oneisanewformofcollaborationacrosscountries,nottobecompetitivebutforwin-winsituations.Theotherissustainabledevelopment:todevelopinanequitablewaysothateverybodybenefits,withouthurtingtheenvironment.
Bycommittingtochangingmodesofdevelopment,PresidentXiisdrivingthegreenrevolutioninChina.Thecountryisnowthegloballeaderinrenewableenergyandthesinglemostimportantmarket.
TheInitiativeisgeneratingenormousopportunitiestostimulategovernmentsinemergingeconomiestocompletelyescapethedamageseeninthepastfewdecades.ChinesecompaniesshouldapplythetacticstheydevelopedtomaketheChineseeconomygreenertothecountriesalongtheBeltandRoad,tohelpthemavoidthepainsthatEurope,theUnitedStatesandChinaonceendured.
HungaryAimstoBeaCentralEuropeanPillaroftheBeltandRoadInitiative
PéterSzijjártó,MinisterofForeignAffairsandTradeofHungary
May14,2017:HungarianMinisterofForeignAffairsandTradePéterSzijjártóisinterviewedbythemediaduringtheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation.byLiuHailePresidentXi’skeynotespeechattheforum’sopeningceremonywasveryforward-looking.TheBeltandRoadInitiative,aimingtolinkAsia,EuropeandAfrica,isveryimportant.EurasianeconomiccooperationbearsmuchimportanceforthedevelopmentprospectsofEurope.
Alongsidetherapidly-growingtradevolumebetweenChinaandHungary,ourtwocountries,togetherwithSerbia,areplanningtoupgradearaillinelinkingBudapestandBelgrade.Wewillbeabletofinalizeallthedetailsontheconstructionbytheendofthisyear.
ConcerningthefutureofCentralandEasternEurope,thebestwaytoregainthecompetitivenessofthisareaistobuilduppragmaticandeffectivecooperationwithChina.HungarywouldliketobeaCentralEuropeanpillaroftheBeltandRoadInitiative.
CPECIsTransformingPakistanísEconomy
AhmadRashidMalik,directoroftheChina-PakistanStudyCentre(CPSC)attheInstituteofStrategicStudiesIslamabadinPakistan
May14,2017:AhmadRashidMalikleavestheChinaNationalConventionCenterinBeijingaftertheThematicSessiononConnectivityofThinkTanksattheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation.courtesyofAhmadRashidMalikIwasimpressedbyPresidentXi’svisionaryleadership,notonlyforChinabutalsofortheworld.Xiprovedthatheisaworldleader.HecalledforeverycountrytoparticipateintheBeltandRoadInitiative,aprojectforthiscentury.TheSilkRoad,ashesaid,wasacivilizationalcorridorthatbroughtmanycivilizationstogether.TheInitiativepromotesdevelopmentandcooperationamongnationsacrossallcontinents.
Allcountriesshareacommonvisionforcooperationanddevelopment.TheagendaoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeisopen,andChinahasattachednopoliticalconditionstotheBeltandRoadprojectsforanycountryorinternationalorganization.TheInitiativeisopentoall.Itisnotaneliteclub.Itinvolvesdeveloping,emerging,anddevelopedcountries.PresidentXisaidthattheBeltandRoadInitiativedoesnotputthesovereigntyofanynationatrisk.Itisacooperativeplatform,anditjointlyaddresseschallenges.
ThebenefitstheChina-PakistanEconomicCorridor(CPEC)hasbroughttoPakistanareenormousandeverywhere.TheCPECisconnectingPakistan,withnewroads,bridgesandtunnelsbeingconstructed,industrialzonesbeingplannedandnewjobsbeingcreated.TheprojectwillalsostrengthenPakistan’senergyinfrastructureandmodernizeitseducationalsystem.WearehappythatChinaiscollaboratingwithusonamassivescaletoconvertoureconomyundertheBeltandRoadInitiative.
IndiaMakesaìSilentMovementîontheBeltandRoadInitiative
DaiYonghong,directoroftheInstituteofSouthAsianStudiesoftheSchoolofInternationalRelations,SichuanUniversity
May14,2017:DaiYonghongattheChinaNationalConventionCenterinBeijing.byHuZhoumengIndia’sabsencefromtheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperationwasbothpredictableandunexpected.ThedownsideofthisabsenceisactuallybornebyIndia.Infact,IndiaisalreadyinvolvedintheBeltandRoadInitiative.IndiaisnotonlyaparticipantintheBangladesh-China-India-Myanmar(BCIM)EconomicCorridor,butalsothesecondlargestshareholderoftheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB),butModi’sforeignpolicyhasmadea“silentmovement.”IndiaalsowantstobenefitfromtheBeltandRoadIni-tiativebyputtingforwardaseriesofdevelopmentplans,suchasthe“CottonRoute”andthe“SpiceRoute.”
Chinaadvocatestheprinciplesofopennessandinclusiveness,whichconformtotheideaofacommunityofsharedfuture.IbelievethattheforumwillleadtomoreandmorecountriesparticipatinginthecooperativeactionsoftheInitiative.ManyofIndia’stopscholarsandresearchersbelievethattheopportunitiesoftheInitiativefaroutweighthechallengesforIndia.ChinahasalwayswelcomedIndiatojointheInitiative.Ibelievethatoneday,IndiawilljointheBeltandRoadInitiative,andthatdaywon’tbetoofaraway.Indiahasanurgentneedtodevelopinfrastructure,andthelongeritwaits,themoreitwilllose.