Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative – China's proposal to build a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in cooperation with related countries – was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visits to Central and Southeast Asia in September and October 2013. The initiative focuses on promoting 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.

The initiative covers primarily East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, and Central and Eastern Europe. It reflects a convergence of interests and an increasing need for regional and global cooperation. The response from countries along the proposed Belt and Road has been enthusiastic.

The Belt and Road Initiative has driven new advances in opening up. By the end of 2018, China had signed more than 150 cooperation agreements with 106 countries and 29 international organizations from Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and south Pacific, and carried out industrial cooperation projects with more than 30 countries. The UN General Assembly and Security Council have made reference to the initiative in some of their resolutions. General Assembly resolution 2344, for instance, called on the international community to increase regional economic cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative.

“一帶一路”

“一帶一路”是“絲綢之路經濟帶”和“21世紀海上絲綢之路”的簡稱。2013年9月和10月，中國國家主席習近平出訪中亞和東南亞時，分別提出了與相關國家共同建設“絲綢之路經濟帶”和“21世紀海上絲綢之路”的倡議。該倡議以實現“政策溝通、設施聯通、貿易暢通、資金融通、民心相通”為主要內容，以“共商、共建、共享”為原則，實實在在地造福沿線國家和人民。“一帶一路”主要涵蓋東亞、東南亞、南亞、西亞、中亞和中東歐等國家和地區。“一帶一路”建設符合有關各方共同利益，順應地區和全球合作潮流，得到了沿線國家的積極響應。截至2018年年底，中國已經與106個國家和29個國際組織簽署了超過150份共建“一帶一路”的協議，簽署范圍自亞歐大陸拓展至非洲、拉美和加勒比地區、南太平洋地區；同30多個國家開展機制化產能合作，推動形成了以“一帶一路”為引領的對外開放新格局。共建“一帶一路”已經寫入聯合國大會、安理會等重要決議，聯合國安理會通過的第2344號決議，呼吁國際社會通過“一帶一路”建設加強區域經濟合作。