Beijing, October 10 (Zhongxin.com) -- 16 marks the 2023th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. Xu Qinhua, deputy dean of the National Institute of Development and Strategy, executive dean of the Institute of Eurasia Studies and professor of the School of International Relations of Chinese Minmin University, and Xue Li, researcher of the Institute of World Economy and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, professor and doctoral supervisor of the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, were interviewed by Chinanews.com on the 16th to conduct an in-depth interpretation of the achievements of the "Belt and Road" in the past ten years.
Experts pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative focuses on solving development problems and promoting the vigorous development of green cooperation; Stimulate the development momentum of the country itself, and cooperate in various fields to benefit the local people; Promote the fair and just development of the international order and provide a new model of cooperation for the world. Focusing on the needs of the times, the "Belt and Road" initiative keeps pace with the times, and the road of win-win cooperation will become broader and broader.
Carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road and highlight the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization
At present, the world's unprecedented changes in a century are accelerating. In response to global development and the expectations of other countries, China has inherited and carried forward the Silk Road spirit, a precious heritage of human civilization, and proposed the Belt and Road Initiative to jointly build, providing a practical platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xu Qinhua said in the interview that the core of the "Belt and Road" initiative is the spirit of the Silk Road, that is, "peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit". For thousands of years, through seeking common ground while reserving differences, millennial friendship has been perpetuated between different cultures. The proposal of the "Belt and Road" initiative is extremely innovative and has a far-reaching impact on global development.
In September 2023, the 9th Belt and Road Summit was held in Hong Kong, and participants took photos in front of the promotional display board.
Xu Qinhua pointed out that on the one hand, this initiative has condensed global consensus and changed the global understanding of how to carry out international cooperation, green innovation, sustainable development, cultural exchanges and other issues.
On the other hand, the Belt and Road Initiative has also brought huge development opportunities to jointly build countries. "First, the initiative makes trade between partner countries deeper and wider; Second, in the process of innovative exchanges, it focuses more on the needs of the times; Third, in cultural exchanges, it can highlight and promote the characteristics of their respective civilizations; Fourth, the people of the joint construction of the country have truly reaped the benefits. Xu Qinhua said.
Xue Li said that as the top-level design of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, how to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind requires the use of a focus for different priorities, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative is a major starting point.
Xue Li believes that the "Belt and Road" initiative helps developing countries accelerate development and plays an important role in the global economic and cultural fields. The initiative focuses on both economic development cooperation and exchanges between different cultures, reflecting the characteristics of Chinese civilization with a high emphasis on inclusiveness.
Adhere to pragmatic cooperation and open up a "happy road" that benefits the world
Looking back at the past ten years of development, the Belt and Road Initiative has always adhered to the true color of openness, green background and clean bright color, transformed from blueprint to action, from vision to reality, and opened up a "happy road" that benefits all countries and the world.
By the end of June 2023, China had signed more than 6 cooperation documents with 152 countries and 33 international organizations on five continents. The initiative has become a popular platform for international public goods and international cooperation.
Xu Qinhua said, "The Belt and Road Initiative emphasizes joint construction, and the fundamental goal is to improve people's livelihood. ”
On September 2023, 9, in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, a China-Europe train full of medical equipment, auto parts and other goods (Zhengzhou) left the Putian Station of China Railway Zhengzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd. and will drive to Hamburg, Germany via Erlianhot, China.
Xu Qinhua said that in the past ten years, China has promoted infrastructure construction to help the people of the joint construction country improve their living conditions, while actively developing the clean energy industry, and created a number of "small but beautiful" and "beautiful and beneficial" projects, which has greatly promoted the improvement of the productivity of the joint construction country. In view of China's successful experience and innovative technology, many countries have thrown "olive branches", saying that they hope to "learn from China".
Talking about the fruitful results of jointly building the "Belt and Road", Xue Li listed a number of cooperation projects. For example, the modern urban light rail built and operated by China in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has greatly improved local transportation, while the "Luban Workshop" focuses on helping to train local technical talents.
Through a series of pragmatic cooperation, Xue Li pointed out that the people of the countries jointly built by the "Belt and Road" not only benefit economically, but also realize culturally that China is sincerely helping them.
Improve governance systems and inject new impetus into the Global South
As the world enters a new period of turbulence and change, problems such as the imperfect global economic governance system need to be solved urgently. While focusing on the fundamental issue of development, the Belt and Road Initiative has also continuously promoted the development of the global governance system in a more just and reasonable direction, becoming the world's broadest and largest international cooperation platform.
Xue Li analyzed that the world pattern is changing from the era of geopolitical competition to the era of civilization competition. Under this pattern, we can see that the balance of economic power has changed, the world economic growth mainly comes from developing countries, and the ability of the West to rely on economic power to impose its institutions and values globally tends to decline.
The picture shows the container terminal operated by COSCO SHIPPING Port Piraeus Terminal Co., Ltd. in the port of Piraeus. Photo by Li Yang, reporter of China News Agency
Xue Li believes that in this context, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" provides a different cooperation model from the West for global development, which means that there are not only "Western-style" and "teacher-style" development methods in the world. In contrast, the "China Plan" focuses on joint consultation, joint construction and sharing without interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, "which has injected new economic, cultural and even political impetus into the 'Global South'." ”
Xu Qinhua also said that the world is undergoing a "great transformation", the key of which lies in the complete innovation of science and technology. This determines whether some developing countries can achieve "overtaking on curves" in the future. The Belt and Road Initiative embodies China's understanding of future development and advocates equality, mutual trust and mutual respect. "This will become the biggest driving force for the development of the international pattern, international order and international system in a more fair and just direction."
New starting point, new opportunities, adhere to the success of the "Belt and Road"
As a long-term, cross-border and systematic world project and century project, the first decade of jointly building the "Belt and Road" is only a prologue. Standing at a new starting point, how should we grasp new opportunities and meet new challenges, so that the "Belt and Road" can become more and more prosperous and the road will become broader and broader?
In interviews, the two experts said that looking back at the past decade, the "success code" of jointly building the "Belt and Road" lies in seeking common ground between different cultures while reserving differences, mutual respect between different countries, and valuing and mining commonalities.
On June 2023, 6, the world's largest container ship "Mediterranean Nicola Mastero" berthed at the Dalian Port Container Terminal. Photo by Zhao Yuxin
Next, in the face of potential challenges in the future, Xue Li analyzed that we can start to deal with three points, namely, experience improvement, knowledge improvement and consensus improvement. Among them, in terms of intellectual improvement, it is important to promote the establishment of regional country studies.
Xu Qinhua also pointed out that the development space of the "Belt and Road" is extremely broad, and more positive progress may be made in the following four aspects in the future.
First, against the background of the complex and changeable world situation, China is expected to play a greater role in building consensus. Second, with the recovery of the global economy, the concept of green economic development is particularly in line with the needs of the co-built countries; Third, in terms of mutual learning among civilizations, cultural exchange activities related to the "Belt and Road" have attracted much attention; Finally, relying on the framework of the "Belt and Road", strengthen the endogenous driving force for the independent development of the country and deepen the pattern of win-win cooperation. (End)