The Belt and Road Initiative
The Belt and Road Initiative – China’s proposal to cooperate with other countries in building a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st-entury Maritime Silk Road – was unveiled by President Xi Jinping during his visits to Central and Southeast Asia in September and October 2013. The countries and regions to be involved by the initiative are mainly located in Asia (east, southeast, south, west and central Asia) and central and eastern Europe.
The initiative focuses on policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people ties through a consultative process and joint efforts, with the goal of bringing benefits to all. It aims to build a community of shared interests and responsibility with a shared future. As it accords with the common interests of all parties concerned, and the trend of regional and global cooperation, the initiative has received warm response from the countries along the routes.
By the end of 2018, China had signed more than 150 agreements with 106 countries and 29 international organizations on joining hands to advance this initiative, covering the Asia-Europe continent, Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean region, and South Pacific. It has conducted mechanism-based industrial-capacity cooperation with more than 30 countries, promoting the formation of new ground led by the initiative.
The UN General Assembly and Security Council have also made reference to the initiative in some of their resolutions. One of the resolutions of the General Assembly called on the international community to reinforce regional economic cooperation through translating the initiative into action.
“一带一路”倡议
“一带一路”是“丝绸之路经济带”和“21世纪海上丝绸之路”的简称。2013年9月和10月，习近平出访中亚和东南亚时，分别提出了与相关国家共同建设“丝绸之路经济带”和“21世纪海上丝绸之路”的倡议。该倡议主要涵盖东亚、东南亚、南亚、西亚、中亚和中东欧等国家和地区，以实现“政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通、民心相通”为主要内容，以“共商、共建、共享”为原则，以“利益共同体、责任共同体、命运共同体”为目标,实实在在造福沿线国家和人民。 “一带一路”倡议符合有关各方共同利益，顺应地区和全球合作潮流，得到了沿线国家的积极响应。截至2018年年底，中国已与106个国家和29个国际组织签署了超过150份共建“一带一路”协议，签署范围自亚欧大陆拓展至非洲、拉美和加勒比地区、南太平洋地区；同30多个国家开展机制化产能合作，推动形成了以“一带一路”为引领的对外开放新格局。“一带一路”倡议已被写入联合国大会、安理会等重要决议，联合国安理会通过的第2344号决议，呼吁国际社会通过“一带一路”建设加强区域经济合作。