Editor's Note: Keywords to Understand China: the Belt and Road Initiative is a selection of "China Keywords" entries included in an eponymous multilingual platform to help readers better understand China’s B&R Initiative. It is one of the major projects implemented by the China International Publishing Group and the China Academy of Translation.
Community of shared interests
The countries along the proposed Belt and Road routes – most of which are developing countries – have a combined population of 4.4 billion and an aggregate output of US$21 trillion. These represent 63 percent of the world’s population and 29 percent of its economic aggregate. Individual countries each have their own natural resources, infrastructure, and historical experiences; such differences, among other factors, have led to different levels of development.
Spanning three continents – Asia, Europe and Africa – the Belt and Road is expected to become the world's most expansive and most dynamic economic corridor with bright future, with vibrant East Asia at one end and the developed economies of Europe and North America at the other. Such integration will contribute to a better alignment of economic interests.
In a joint effort to build the Belt and Road each country's comparative strengths can be better exploited, and economic complementarity can be better transformed into new drivers of development. The initiative will rely on wide-ranging international economic cooperation to promote connectivity and facilitate trade and investment. It envisions a world of new economic growth, where win-win strategies are favored.
Community of shared responsibility
Although the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China, participation of other countries along the proposed routes and related countries is indispensable to its implementation. Divergent national interests and priorities, as well as unforeseen events, could present a serious challenge.
Broad-based consultation is therefore essential. Only through joint efforts and shared responsibility can any threat to progress be neutralized. From this perspective it is agreed that responsibilities could vary depending on different levels of participation.
The Chinese leadership has repeatedly affirmed that the Belt and Road is an undertaking shared by many, rather than being driven by China alone; and the process of creating such a network is a collaborative undertaking, rather than a solo performance by China.
As a sponsor, China is ready and willing to act in good faith towards its partners, honor its commitments, and fulfill its responsibilities.
Community with a shared future
The idea of building a community with a shared future was first discussed in a report to the 18th CPC (Communist Party of China) National Congress in 2012. It was seen as contributing to China's engagement with the rest of the world in pursuit of win-win results. This idea has since become a core element of China's foreign policy. It also underpins the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The concept of a community with a shared future emphasizes the virtue of holistic thinking, cosmopolitan ideals, and the pursuit of lasting peace and shared prosperity.
The destiny of a country should be in the hands of its people, and the future of the world must be shaped jointly by the peoples of the world. A country's national interests are to be pursued with other countries' interests in mind. The implementation of any national development strategy should be accompanied by careful consideration of the development needs of others.
Underlying the Belt and Road Initiative is the understanding that we all share one world. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, a community with a shared future can be built only on the basis of shared interests and responsibilities.
Sustained efforts should thus be made to expand our cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, where convergence of interests occurs, and to transform economic complementarity into new drivers of development. At the same time, all countries should join hands in dealing with international challenges and building a cooperative framework that benefits all.
(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com)
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