In just a few days, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) will commence in Beijing. Twenty-eight heads of state, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and delegates of 110 countries and 61 international organisations will participate in the event.
The forum will be the highest-level international conference concerning the Belt and Road Initiative since President Xi Jinping put it forward in 2013. It will also be another conference of global standing that China hosts after the APEC Meeting in Beijing and the G20 Hangzhou Summit.
The BRF has set its theme as ‘Strengthening International Cooperation and Co-building the “Belt and Road” for Win-win Development’. The programme includes the leaders’ roundtable summit and a high-level conference.
The forum shall focus on major issues to inject political impetus into Belt and Road development. It shall also address specific topics to provide enabling conditions for practical cooperation. Supported by leadership-level guidance and area-specific actions, the BRF seeks to pool wisdom and strength to forge a synergy.
The forum shall bring the building of Belt and Road to a new stage and leave its mark in the fostering of a network of partnerships and improvement of the global governance.
The international community is closely watching and expects a great deal from the BRF. Questions are being asked: what are the forces driving the Belt and Road transition from a blueprint to reality, and what is the secret for its many early harvest deliverables in the past three years, and what can one learn from its success?
The Belt and Road initiative owes its strong vitality to a rich historical heritage. Visits to the western regions by Chinese diplomatic envoy Zhang Qian 2,000 years ago heralded the start of the time-honoured history of friendly exchanges between China and the Central Asian countries. From this, a Silk Road spanning from East to West and linking Asia with Europe developed.
Despite the tumultuous changes across the times, the flow of goods, technology, culture and people among countries in the region went on unabated.
Exchange and mutual learning along the ancient Silk Road promoted economic, cultural and social progress in various countries, facilitated the interaction and integration of different civilisations, and left behind splendid chapters in the history of humankind.
The ancient Silk Road is a witness to the common history and civilisation of China and countries along the routes. In the eyes of the people in these countries, today’s Belt and Road is not just a continuation and upgrade of the ancient Silk Road, but also a strong bond of friendship and cooperation bringing them together.
The Belt and Road initiative owes its fast development to its response to the trend of times and needs of the region. Our world today is experiencing fast changes in its architecture and a stronger momentum toward multi-polarity. Global economic recovery is not yet firmly established, growth of trade and investment remains anemic, and driving forces of growth are not yet fully secured.
The Belt and Road initiative embodies peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit
There is a pressing need for upgrading the basic infrastructure and connectivity in other respects between and among countries and sub-regions. With a high interdependence and our interests closely entwined, we in the global community need to leverage opportunities and meet challenges together.
The Belt and Road initiative embodies peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. It reflects China’s commitment to building a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation and a community of shared future for mankind.
The initiative also calls for shifting the model of growth and adjusting the industrial structure as needed for economic transformation and upgrading in all related countries. It will inject positive energy into the recovery of the global economy.
The Belt and Road initiative owes its wide support and participation to an abiding commitment to the key concepts of ‘cooperation’ and ‘win-win’. As China repeatedly states, building the Belt and Road is no solo performance, but a symphony.
In this process, China has followed the principle of wide consultation, joint construction and shared benefits, and adopted an equal and open approach, believing that all countries have a role to play.
Under this initiative, China pursues no selfish interests, seeks no sphere of influence, has no intention to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs or impose its will upon others, and does not wish to enter into rivalry with any country or existing mechanisms.
The initiative puts itself above system-based prejudice and barriers of ideological difference. Instead, it focuses on development, the biggest common denominator among all. At a time of rising de-globalisation and uncertainty, the initiative is a strong force for open cooperation and free trade.
Many have come to recognise that the Chinese want a better life for themselves and for others too, and they believe that together we can go far.
The initiative owes its bright prospects to the results-oriented, solid work of the past three years. With enhanced policy, facility, trade, financial and people connectivity among China and other countries along the routes, recent years have seen a series of major projects come to fruition.
In 2016, trade between China and other Belt and Road countries totalled 6.3 trillion RMB yuan. Chinese companies have established 56 economic cooperation zones in over 20 countries along the routes, making $18.5 billion of investment, generating $1.1 billion of taxes for host countries and creating 180,000 local jobs.
At present, the building of the economic corridors between China and countries along the routes is well underway, a connectivity network is taking shape, and cooperation on major projects is making steady headway, producing a large number of early-harvest deliverables.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund provide strong support for financial cooperation between countries. It is fair to say that the initiative has become the most popular international public good and the most promising platform for international cooperation.
The Maltese government has long shown high enthusiasm for the Belt and Road initiative and a keen interest in working with the Chinese side to undertake the Mediterranean part of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Enjoying a long friendship, China and Malta have, guided by their Mid-term Cooperation Plan, conducted fruitful cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and other fields in recent years.
2015 saw Malta joining the AIIB as a founding member. China wishes to work with Malta to form synergy between our development strategies under the Belt and Road framework, and elevate the practical cooperation to a higher level so as to deliver greater benefits to people of the two countries.
At this critical moment in human history, the BRF, carrying the high expectation of the global community, offers a great opportunity for participants to discuss, plan, undertake and share in the cooperation, ready to take the Belt and Road initiative to its next stage.
China wishes to welcome Malta and all other friends to this initiative. Together, let us make the forum fruitful and successful, as the Belt and Road is not only an initiative from China but also an opportunity for the world.
Jiang Jiang is the Chinese ambassador to Malta.