A Valuable Collaboration Platform
The Belt and Road Initiative has gained wide popularity because of its advantages
Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the joint construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt in September 2013 in Kazakhstan, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in the following month in Indonesia, together known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In a decade, the BRI has become a reality, reviving the ancient Silk Roads. The BRI, based on history and proposed by China, concentrates on the future and benefits the world as a whole. According to Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s former minister of planning, development and special initiatives, the noteworthy aspect of this initiative lies in the spirit of sharing. China is sharing its experience with developing countries to achieve mutual prosperity and build a community of shared future for mankind.
Joint development
Over the past decade, the joint construction of the BRI has made significant progress. According to Martin Albrow, one of the creators of the concept of “globalisation” and a British sociologist, the BRI has demonstrated impressive resilience and is poised to flourish in the post-pandemic landscape.
China has signed more than 200 cooperation agreements on the BRI with 152 countries and 32 international organisations. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce of China, between 2013 and 2022, the volume of merchandise trade between China and partner countries in the BRI increased from $1.04 trillion to $2.07 trillion, and cumulative two-way investment surpassed $1 trillion. As Mahbub Uz Zaman, Bangladesh’s former ambassador to China, stated, contributing to the development of the BRI can genuinely benefit all nations.
Over the past decade, cooperation in the joint construction of the BRI has launched more than 3,000 cooperation projects, created 420,000 job opportunities for partner countries, and lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty. In 2019, as per a survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre, about three quarters of the countries in Africa and the Middle East and roughly two thirds of the nations in Latin America believed that China’s economic advancement was beneficial for them. Most surveyed countries have established cooperation with China under the framework of the BRI.
Global interconnection
The joint construction of the BRI aims to promote global interconnection, unlock potential for collaboration in diverse fields, and contribute to regional economic integration and common development. Several countries have opted to align their development strategies to the BRI to foster deeper