A Path to Innovative, Coordinated, Green, Open and Inclusive Development
Turning a New Page in World History
Giovanni Andornino, associate professor at the University of Turin in Italy
Giovanni Andornino (left) takes a group photo with other Italian delegates outside the China National Convention Center in Beijing. courtesy of Giovanni AndorninoPresident Xi’s speech at the opening ceremony contained extensive references to an oft-forgotten past that already bound the Eurasian space together across the ages. China’s desire to reinforce other countries’ regional strategies for connectivity is a potential game-changer for growth in Asia and for the advancement of agendas that can foster human development from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
I was happy to note Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni’s presence at the forum. It is a moment of great responsibility. It is an exciting new phase in world history. Even though transitions occur gradually, the Belt and Road Forum was one of those moments when you perceive the shifting shape of global order.
The previous Silk Roads existed at times of peace and stability, but today flashpoints and structural fissures in the global order are clearly visible. The Belt and Road Initiative will have to mitigate and contribute to overcoming these challenges in order to be implemented successfully.
The foundation of the Belt and Road Initiative is China’s wisdom, and its capacity to generate opportunities for win-win growth. If China can lead processes that spur human development, peace and stability across Eurasia, she will have gained others’ trust and contributed immensely to her own future and that of the world.
A New Model for Global Economic Cooperation
Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistan Parliamentary Committee on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
May 14, 2017: Mushahid Hussain Sayed delivers a speech at the Thematic Session on People-toPeople Connectivity of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. by Liu HailePresident Xi made a brilliant and comprehensive speech, which was very scientific and well-organized. Containing abundant information, his speech not only gave a historical context for the Silk Road including both land and sea routes, but also talked about how connectivity was achieved in the past.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a new model for global economic cooperation that aims to include everybody, and President Xi gave concrete steps to turn that vision into reality. This Initiative is probably the most important diplomatic and development initiative of the 21st Century.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the biggest cooperative project in the history of international relations between any two countries. It is a success story, and the Belt and Road Initiative is also a success story.
Respecting Other Civilizations Is Important
Sameh El-Shahat, president of China-I Ltd.
May 14, 2017: Sameh El-Shahat, president of China-I Ltd., is interviewed by journalists. by Liu Haile President Xi called the spirit of the Silk Road part of the “great heritage” of human civilization and said that the Belt and Road should be a “road of civilization,” along which different countries understand, respect and trust each other.
The idea of respecting other countries’ civilizations is very new. If you put it together with investment, it offers a different way of thinking. If you don’t respect another country’s civilization, you cannot invest there in the long term. To achieve sustained investment, a country must respect the target country’s civilization. You cannot do it any other way. This is important and should be understood by other countries.
China treats other countries as friends under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which is a new idea. Not everything is about money, but about contribution.
Peace before Prosperity
Wali Zahid, president of the Institute of Media and Communications in Pakistan
Wali Zahid at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. courtesy of Wali Zahid President Xi is now reviving the ancient Silk Road. He’s also clear that the relations between partner countries of the Belt and Road have to be “partnerships,” but no longer “alliances,” as the previous world alignment in a unipolar or bipolar world has demonstrated.
President Xi emphasized peace first, before mentioning prosperity. He knows how terrorism and conflict could endanger the world and sabotage China’s efforts to lift the masses out of poverty. He also knows that China has to clear up the mess resulting from vested interests and continuing terror and violence, which troubles some regions of the world.
China needs to treat all countries with respect and humility. It could be useful to have mutual consultations of all stakeholders of the Belt and Road Initiative, deeper understanding of local cultures, and transparent dealings at all stages of project life. The use of local think tanks and social media, in addition to mainstream local media, can be helpful in giving a sense to locals that their sensibilities have been taken into account.Riding the Green Silk Road
Marco Lambertini, director general of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International
Marco Lambertini became director general of WWF International in April 2014, leading the central secretariat team of the WWF network. by Guo Shasha This is not the first time President Xi has mentioned the importance of green development, which reflects a strong understanding of the value of a healthy development and healthy society. This is very welcome. He has set the tone that the Belt and Road Initiative should not just promote development, but also promote sustainable development.
The Belt and Road Initiative has two key dimensions. One is a new form of collaboration across countries, not to be competitive but for win-win situations. The other is sustainable development: to develop in an equitable way so that everybody benefits, without hurting the environment.
By committing to changing modes of development, President Xi is driving the green revolution in China. The country is now the global leader in renewable energy and the single most important market.
The Initiative is generating enormous opportunities to stimulate governments in emerging economies to completely escape the damage seen in the past few decades. Chinese companies should apply the tactics they developed to make the Chinese economy greener to the countries along the Belt and Road, to help them avoid the pains that Europe, the United States and China once endured.
Hungary Aims to Be a Central European Pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary
May 14, 2017: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó is interviewed by the media during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. by Liu HailePresident Xi’s keynote speech at the forum’s opening ceremony was very forward-looking. The Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to link Asia, Europe and Africa, is very important. Eurasian economic cooperation bears much importance for the development prospects of Europe.
Alongside the rapidly-growing trade volume between China and Hungary, our two countries, together with Serbia, are planning to upgrade a rail line linking Budapest and Belgrade. We will be able to finalize all the details on the construction by the end of this year.
Concerning the future of Central and Eastern Europe, the best way to regain the competitiveness of this area is to build up pragmatic and effective cooperation with China. Hungary would like to be a Central European pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative.
CPEC Is Transforming Pakistanís Economy
Ahmad Rashid Malik, director of the China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in Pakistan
May 14, 2017: Ahmad Rashid Malik leaves the China National Convention Center in Beijing after the Thematic Session on Connectivity of Think Tanks at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. courtesy of Ahmad Rashid Malik I was impressed by President Xi’s visionary leadership, not only for China but also for the world. Xi proved that he is a world leader. He called for every country to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, a project for this century. The Silk Road, as he said, was a civilizational corridor that brought many civilizations together. The Initiative promotes development and cooperation among nations across all continents.
All countries share a common vision for cooperation and development. The agenda of the Belt and Road Initiative is open, and China has attached no political conditions to the Belt and Road projects for any country or international organization. The Initiative is open to all. It is not an elite club. It involves developing, emerging, and developed countries. President Xi said that the Belt and Road Initiative does not put the sovereignty of any nation at risk. It is a cooperative platform, and it jointly addresses challenges.
The benefits the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has brought to Pakistan are enormous and everywhere. The CPEC is connecting Pakistan, with new roads, bridges and tunnels being constructed, industrial zones being planned and new jobs being created. The project will also strengthen Pakistan’s energy infrastructure and modernize its educational system. We are happy that China is collaborating with us on a massive scale to convert our economy under the Belt and Road Initiative.
India Makes a ì Silent Movementî on the Belt and Road Initiative
Dai Yonghong, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies of the School of International Relations, Sichuan University
May 14, 2017: Dai Yonghong at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. by Hu Zhoumeng India’s absence from the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was both predictable and unexpected. The downside of this absence is actually borne by India. In fact, India is already involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. India is not only a participant in the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, but also the second largest shareholder of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), but Modi’s foreign policy has made a “silent movement.” India also wants to benefit from the Belt and Road Ini-tiative by putting forward a series of development plans, such as the “Cotton Route” and the “Spice Route.”
China advocates the principles of openness and inclusiveness, which conform to the idea of a community of shared future. I believe that the forum will lead to more and more countries participating in the cooperative actions of the Initiative. Many of India’s top scholars and researchers believe that the opportunities of the Initiative far outweigh the challenges for India. China has always welcomed India to join the Initiative. I believe that one day, India will join the Belt and Road Initiative, and that day won’t be too far away. India has an urgent need to develop infrastructure, and the longer it waits, the more it will lose.