China Keywords

Editor's note: The column China Keywords aims to facilitate readers' understanding of China's political thinking, policies, and approach to development. Its content mainly comes from the "China Keywords" platform, a national-level project undertaken by China International Publishing Group, Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and China Academy of Translation. This issue continues to center on the book Keywords to Understand China: The Belt and Road Initiative, briefing our readers about key con-cepts of the initiative.

21世纪海上丝绸之路

自秦汉时期开通以来，海上丝绸之路一直是东西方经济文化交流融通的重要桥梁。东南亚地区是海上丝绸之路的重要枢纽和组成部分。在中国与东盟建立战略伙伴关系10周年之际，为了进一步加强双方的海上合作，发展双方的海洋合作伙伴关系,构建更加紧密的命运共同体,2013年10月3日,习近平主席在印度尼西亚国会发表演讲时提出,共同建设21世纪海上丝绸之路。21世纪海上丝绸之路的战略合作伙伴并不仅限于东盟，而是以点带线，以线带面，串起联通东盟、南亚、西亚、北非、欧洲等各大经济板块的市场链，发展面向南海、太平洋和印度洋的战略合作经济带。

21st Century Maritime Silk Road

Formed during the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-AD 220), the Maritime Silk Road has always played an important role in economic and cultural exchanges and integration between East and West. And Southeast Asia has always been a nexus of this interaction. On the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the CHINA-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, President Xi Jinping proposed jointly building a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in his speech to the Indonesian parliament on October 3, 2013. The initiative aims to boost CHINA-ASEAN maritime cooperation and forge closer ties in a community of a shared future. It calls for joint efforts across the region and beyond.

Starting with the launch of individual projects that are expected to help spur a wider range of cooperative activities, it envisions a network of interconnected markets linking the ASEAN, South Asia, West Asia, North Africa, and Europe, and a strategic partnership for the South China Sea and the Pacific and Indian oceans.

丝路精神

古丝绸之路绵亘万里，延续千年，不仅是商业通道，更重要的是它所承载的丝路精神。古丝绸之路作为人文社会的交往平台，多民族、多种族、多宗教、多文化在此交汇融合，在长期交往过程中，各国之间积淀形成了以和平合作、开放包容、互学互鉴、互利共赢为核心的丝路精神。 这一精神，也是现代国际社会交往的最基本原则之一。

Spirit of the Silk Road

The ancient Silk Road was a trade route that spanned thousands of miles. More than this, it had been a platform for people-to-people and cultural exchanges, where ethnic, racial, religious and cultural convergence took place down the centuries. For millennia, interaction along this route has shaped the Silk Road spirit, which is embodied in peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit. Such an understanding also informs one of the fundamental principles for international interaction today.

丝路基金

2014年11月8日，习近平主席宣布，中国将出资400亿美元成立丝路基金。2014年12月29日，丝路基金有限责任公司在北京注册成立。丝路基金为“一带一路”沿线国基础设施建设、资源开发、产业合作等有关项目提供投融资支持。它同其他全球和区域多边开发银行的关系是相互补充而不是相互替代的。它将在现行国际经济金融秩序下运行。丝路基金绝非简单的经济援助，而是通过互联互通为相关国家的发展创造新的重大发展机遇。丝路基金是开放的，欢迎亚洲域内外的投资者积极参与。

Silk Road Fund

The Silk Road Fund was established in Beijing on December 29, 2014, following President Xi Jinping’s announcement on November 8 that China would contribute US $40 billion for this purpose. The Fund supports infrastructure and resource development and industrial cooperation in the countries along the land and sea Silk Roads. It complements rather than serves as a substitute for other global and regional multilateral development banks, and operates under the existing international economic and financial order.

Instead of simply dispensing economic aid, the Fund exploits increased connectivity to create major development opportunities for all. It is an open scheme and welcomes the participation of investors from Asia and beyond.