Building the Belt and Road:

Concept, Practice and

China’s Contribution

Office of the Leading Group for

the Belt and Road Initiative

May 2017

FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS

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 First Edition 2017

ISBN 978-7-119-10810-0

© Foreign Languages Press Co. Ltd, Beijing, China, 2017

Published by Foreign Languages Press Co. Ltd

24 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037, China

Distributed by China International Book Trading Corporation

35 Chegongzhuang Xilu, Beijing 100044, China

P.O. Box 399, Beijing, China

Printed in the People’s Republic of China

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 Contents

Preamble 1

I. Call of the Times: From Concept to Blueprint 3

II. Cooperation Framework: From Plan to Practice 7

III. Areas of Cooperation: Economy and Culture 18

IV. Diverse Cooperative Mechanisms 49

V. A Future Vision Based on Reality 54

Conclusion 58

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 4 17/5/10 19:02
 Preamble

In September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping

proposed a Silk Road Economic Belt and in October, a
21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, together now referred
to as the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative attracted
considerable attention from the international community
and won a positive response from the countries involved.
It integrates the historical symbolism of the ancient Silk
Road with the new requirements of today. The initiative
is a Chinese program whose goal is to maintain an open
world economic system, and achieve diversified, indepen-
dent, balanced, and sustainable development, and also a
Chinese proposal intended to advance regional cooperation,
strengthen communications between civilizations, and safe-
guard world peace and stability. It showcases the fact that
China, as the largest developing country and the world’s
second largest economy, shoulders its wider responsibilities
in promoting international economic governance toward a

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 fair, just and rational system.
On the eve of the International Cooperation Summit
Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative, China, as the initia-
tor, is publishing “Building the Belt and Road: Concept,
Practice and China’s Contribution,” hoping to increase un-
derstanding of the initiative in the international community,
present its fruits, and promote strategic mutual trust, dia-
logue and cooperation among countries. China will make
new, greater contribution to building an intimate commu-
nity with a shared destiny.

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 I. Call of the Times:
From Concept to Blueprint

Around the world today, economic globalization and

regional integration has stimulated strong potential for eco-
nomic activity, while scientific and technological progress
has greatly improved the efficiency of work and daily life.
Humanity has reached an unprecedented height in creating
material and spiritual wealth. At the same time, with rapid
economic and social development, ties of interests between
countries are growing closer. But challenges they have to
face are also on the increase: world economic growth is
sluggish, and traditional engines are becoming weaker in
fueling that growth; globalization is facing new difficulties,
and ideas of openness and cooperation in line with the in-
terests of all mankind are under threat; the global economic
governance system fails to adapt to objective changes, and
institutional reform makes slow progress; developed econo-
mies have entered the post-industrial stage, while some

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 developing countries have not yet opened their doors to
modernization; improvements are needed in the global trade
and investment system, and a mutually beneficial global
value chain has not taken shape; a considerable number of
countries suffer from inadequate infrastructure, and regional
and sub-regional development faces numerous constraints.
Confronted with such difficulties and challenges, we recog-
nize that stronger cooperation is the fundamental solution. It
is for this reason that China has proposed the Belt and Road
Initiative.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a Chinese proposal
whose aim is to promote peaceful cooperation and com-
mon development around the world. Cooperation under the
Belt and Road (B&R) framework is something in which
all countries, big or small, rich or poor, can participate on
an equal footing. This cooperation is public, transparent,
and open, and brings positive energy to world peace and
development. It carries forward the spirit of the Silk Road,
and pursues mutual benefit and complementary gains. Un-
der this framework, the countries concerned adhere to the
principle of achieving shared growth through discussion
and collaboration, and join hands to build a new system of
global economic governance. Cooperation helps to promote

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 efficiency in the flow of elements and in-depth integration
of markets, to achieve diversified, independent, balanced
and sustainable development. It aims to promote regional
development, prosperity and stability, and expand dialogue
and mutual learning between civilizations.
China is willing to combine the experience and foun-
dations of its own development with the development will
and comparative strengths of all countries, and use the Belt
and Road as an important opportunity and a cooperation
platform to promote economic policy coordination among
various countries, improve connectivity, foster bilateral and
multilateral cooperation with a broader scope and at a higher
and deeper level, and build a new cooperation framework
that is open, inclusive, balanced and mutually beneficial.
The Belt and Road Initiative, characterized by equality
and inclusiveness, and grounded in realism, manifests the
common interests of countries along the routes, including
China, and is a new future-oriented consensus for interna-
tional cooperation. It showcases a positive vision that the
Chinese Dream is interconnected with the world dream and
all countries work together to build a human community of
shared destiny.
To turn the concept into reality, relevant departments,

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 with the authorization of the Chinese government, is-
sued “Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road
Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” in
March 2015. In this document, the Chinese government
proposes the top-level design and sets out a grand blueprint
for building the Belt and Road.

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 II. Cooperation Framework:
From Plan to Practice

China upholds the Silk Road spirit characterized by

“peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mu-
tual learning, mutual benefit and win-win results,” adheres
to the principle of achieving shared growth through dis-
cussion and collaboration, constantly expands cooperation
and consensus with countries along the Belt and Road, and
works to translate the initiative from plan to cooperative
action with the participation of all parties involved.

(1) Reaching a consensus for cooperation

China actively dovetails the Belt and Road Initiative
with the national strategies, development visions and gen-
eral plans of countries along the routes to give the initiative
the best possible start. As of the end of 2016, more than
100 countries have expressed their support and willing-
ness to participate in the initiative. China has signed 46

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 cooperation agreements with 39 countries and international
organizations, covering a broad range of fields that include
connectivity, production capacity, investment, economy
and trade, finance, science and technology, society, human-
ities, quality of life, and marine issues. On July 10, 2015,
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization published the “Ufa
Declaration of Heads of Member States of SCO” in sup-
port of China’s initiative. On November 17, 2016, 193 UN
members adopted a resolution by consensus, embracing
economic cooperation initiatives including the Belt and
Road Initiative while calling on the international commu-
nity to provide a secure environment for the construction
of the Belt and Road. On March 17, 2017, the UN Secu-
rity Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2344, call-
ing on the international community to strengthen regional
economic cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative.
Actively fulfilling its international responsibilities, China
has advanced its cooperation with relevant international or-
ganizations in the B&R framework. It has signed coopera-
tion documents on joint building of the Belt and Road with
the United Nations Development Program, United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
and the World Health Organization.

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 The Chinese government attaches great importance to
the Belt and Road. It has established a leading group on the
initiative, whose office has been set up under the National
Development and Reform Commission. To implement
those B&R cooperation agreements that have been signed,
the office has developed a work program to promote step
by step cooperation with the relevant countries. Following
the principle of reaching consensus through consultation,
China works with the countries with which it has signed
MOUs in preparing bilateral cooperation plans. It has for-
mulated and signed the outline of the plan on establishing
the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, and coop-
eration documents with Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Czech
Republic. China is also working to dovetail the initiative
with the plans of Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Tajikistan,
Saudi Arabia, Poland, Hungary and other countries.

(2) Building the top-level framework

Based on the proposal from President Xi and the need
to promote international cooperation, and taking into con-
sideration the routes of the ancient land and sea Silk Roads,
China has determined five routes for the Belt and Road.
The Silk Road Economic Belt has three routes: one from

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 Northwest China and Northeast China to Europe and the
Baltic Sea via Central Asia and Russia; one from North-
west China to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea,
passing through Central Asia and West Asia; and one from
Southwest China through the Indochina Peninsula to the
Indian Ocean. The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road has
two major routes: one starts from coastal ports of China,
crosses the South China Sea, passes through the Malacca
Strait, and reaches the Indian Ocean, extending to Europe;
the other starts from coastal ports of China, crosses the
South China Sea, and extends to the South Pacific.
Based on the above five routes, and the focus of co-
operation and spatial distribution for building the Belt and
Road, China has proposed a framework including six corri-
dors, six means of communication, multiple countries, and
multiple ports. The “six corridors” are: the New Eurasian
Land Bridge Economic Corridor, the China-Mongolia-
Russia Economic Corridor, the China-Central Asia-West
Asia Economic Corridor, the China-Indochina Peninsula
Economic Corridor, the China-Pakistan Economic Corri-
dor, and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic
Corridor. The “six means of communication” are rail, high-
ways, seagoing transport, aviation, pipelines, and aerospace

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 integrated information network, which comprise the main
targets of infrastructure connectivity. “Multiple countries”
refer to a number of countries along the Belt and Road that
first joined the initiative, and China will cooperate with
them on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. But prag-
matism requires a need to cooperate first with a number of
particular countries, and try to achieve results with them
that have a demonstrative impact and embody the concept
of the Belt and Road, so that more countries will be at-
tracted to participate in the initiative. “Multiple ports” refer
to a number of ports that ensure safe and smooth sea pas-
sages. By building a number of important ports and key cit-
ies with countries along the Belt and Road, China works to
promote maritime cooperation. The cooperation framework
is the framework for joint building of the Belt and Road,
giving a clear direction for countries involved to participate
in the initiative.

(3) Jointly building economic corridors

The New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor,
China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, and China-
Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor run through
central and eastern Eurasia, connecting the economically

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 dynamic East Asian economic circle and the developed Eu-
ropean economic circle, while also building a smooth coop-
eration channel from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean
and the Baltic Sea. They make it possible for establishing
an efficient and smooth Eurasian market, and create oppor-
tunities of development for countries in the hinterland of
Eurasia and along the Belt and Road. The China-Indochina
Peninsula Economic Corridor, China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor, and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic
Corridor run through eastern and southern parts of Asia,
the world’s most densely populated areas, connecting major
cities and population and industrial clusters along the
Belt and Road. The Lancang-Mekong River international
sea-lane and regional railways, highways, and oil and gas
networks link the Silk Road Economic Belt with the 21st-
Century Maritime Silk Road, whose economic radiation
effects cover South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean,
the South Pacific and other regions.
New Eurasian Land Bridge Economic Corridor
This corridor extends westward from the eastern coast
of China to Central and Eastern Europe, passing through
the northwestern part of China, Central Asia and Russia.
Construction of this corridor is based on a modern inter-

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 national logistics system including China-Europe rail ser-
vices, with focus on economic and trade development and
production capacity cooperation, expansion of cooperation
in energy and other resources, and establishment of a high-
ly efficient regional market. By the end of 2016, China had
opened 39 China-Europe rail routes, entailing the operation
of some 3,000 trains to 14 cities in 9 European countries,
making the railway an important platform for countries
along the Belt and Road to promote connectivity and
enhance economic and trade cooperation. The China-
Kazakhstan international logistics cooperation project is
progressing smoothly, and has become an important window
of cooperation for Kazakhstan in trade and cross-border
transportation. The China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International
Border Cooperation Center project is advancing steadily. The
Port of Piraeus project is running smoothly, contributing to
the mutual benefit and win-win results of China and Greece.
China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor
At his meeting on September 11, 2014 with the heads
of state of Russia and Mongolia, President Xi proposed
that the three neighbors should dovetail the Silk Road Eco-
nomic Belt with the Eurasian Economic Union proposal
and Mongolia’s Prairie Road program, to build the China-

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 Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor. On July 9, 2015,
relevant departments of the three countries signed the
“Memorandum of Understanding on Compiling the Outline
of the Plan on Establishing the China-Mongolia-Russia
Economic Corridor.” On June 23, 2016, the three heads of
state witnessed the signing of the “Outline of the Plan on
Establishing the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Cor-
ridor,” the first multilateral cooperation plan under the Belt
and Road Initiative. Through the combined efforts of the
three countries, the outline has been put into practice.
China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor
This corridor extends westward from northwestern
China via Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, the Arabian
Peninsula, and the Mediterranean coast, involving Central
Asia, West Asia and North Africa. On June 5, 2014, at the
sixth ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Co-
operation Forum, President Xi proposed the China-Arab
“1+2+3” cooperation network: take energy cooperation as
the main axis, and infrastructure and trade and investment
as the two wings, to make breakthroughs in the three high-
tech areas of nuclear energy, aerospace satellites, and new
energy. During the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, the heads
of China and Kazakhstan witnessed the signing of the “Co-

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 operation Plan on Dovetailing the Silk Road Economic
Belt and Nurly Zhol (Bright Road).” China also signed co-
operation documents on building the Belt with Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries, and MOUs on
building the Belt and Road with Turkey, Iran, Saudi Ara-
bia, Qatar, Kuwait and other countries. China and Turkey
have reached an important consensus on cooperation in the
Turkey’s east-west high-speed rail project, and have started
substantive talks.
China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor
Starting from Southwest China, the corridor connects
China with countries on the Indochina Peninsula, thus serv-
ing as an important channel for wider and higher-level co-
operation between China and ASEAN. On May 26, 2016,
the Ninth Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Forum
and China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor Devel-
opment Forum issued the “Initiative of the China-Indochina
Peninsula Economic Corridor.” China signed MOUs on
B&R cooperation with Laos, Cambodia and other coun-
tries, launching preparation of bilateral cooperation plans.
It has worked to promote cooperation between China and
Vietnam on land infrastructure, and started early work on
phase-2 renovation of the Lancang-Mekong River channel

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 and construction of the Sino-Laos railway and the Sino-
Thai railway. It has also established the Mohan/Boten
Economic Cooperation Zone between China and Laos in
exploring new models for integrated development of the
border economy.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
This corridor is a flagship program of the Belt and
Road Initiative. The governments of both China and Paki-
stan attach great importance to it and have actively started
preparation of long-term plans. On April 20, 2015, top lead-
ers of the two countries held the groundbreaking ceremony
for several China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects,
during which 51 cooperation agreements and MOUs were
signed, of which almost 40 involve the corridor construc-
tion. Construction has started on KKH Phase-II (Thakot to
Havellian Section), also known as the Friendship Highway,
and the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway, the largest highway
infrastructure project under the China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor. Construction of the Gwadar Free Zone has been
accelerated, while energy and power projects have been
quickly launched along the corridor.
Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor
This corridor connects the three sub-regions of East

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 Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and links up the
Pacific and Indian oceans. In December 2013, the first
meeting of the Joint Working Group for the Bangladesh-
China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor took place in
Kunming, China. The parties involved signed the minutes
of the meeting and a plan on joint research on the corri-
dor, formally launching intergovernmental cooperation for
this program. In December 2014, the second meeting of
the Joint Working Group for the Bangladesh-China-India-
Myanmar Economic Corridor took place, at which the four
countries discussed the prospects, priorities, and develop-
ment direction for the construction of the corridor.

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 III. Areas of Cooperation:
Economy and Culture

The Belt and Road Initiative calls for policy coordina-

tion, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimped-
ed trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people
ties. In addition to cooperation in such key areas as con-
nectivity, production capacity, and trade and investment,
cultural and people-to-people exchanges among the B&R
countries are also highlighted for the contribution they can
make to the prosperity of both economy and culture.

(1) Promoting connectivity of infrastructure and

facilities
Boosting infrastructure development to enhance trans-
national and cross-regional connectivity is a priority area
for cooperation. China will encourage large and credit-
worthy enterprises to build rail, highway, port, electricity,
information and telecommunications facilities in the B&R

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 countries so as to enhance regional connectivity and bring
benefits to local people.
– Docking project plans. China and relevant coun-
tries will dock their infrastructure project plans, and set up
bilateral or multilateral mechanisms guided by competent
authorities for consultation and dialogue on connectivity
policies. They will develop connectivity partnerships, and
incorporate infrastructure connectivity into their coopera-
tion agreements under the Belt and Road Initiative. The
Chinese government and the European Commission have
signed MoU and launched cooperation on the EU-China
Connectivity Platform. China, Laos, Myanmar and Thai-
land have compiled the “Development Plan of International
Navigation on the Lancang-Mekong River (2015-2025).”
In September 2016, the G20 Leaders’ Communiqué of
Hangzhou Summit endorsed China’s proposal for launch-
ing the Global Infrastructure Connectivity Alliance.
– Aligning quality and technological systems. While
respecting the sovereignty and interests of the parties in-
volved, China promotes cooperation related to standards,
measurement, certification and accreditation among the
B&R countries. The Chinese government has released
such documents as the “Action Plan on Connecting the

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 Belt and Road by Standards (2015-2017),” “Vision and
Actions on Jointly Promoting Cooperation of Certification
and Accreditation in Building Silk Road Economic Belt
and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road,” and the “Belt and
Road Vision and Actions for Cooperation in Metrology,” in
an effort to accelerate the alignment of relevant standards
and work together to formulate international standards or
rules of certification and accreditation. China will make
concerted efforts with the participating countries to real-
ize “global recognition with one test and one certificate” in
measurement standards and “whole-region permit with one
standard and one certificate” in terms of certification and
accreditation and inspection and quarantine.
– Enhancing transport. China and 15 countries along
the Belt and Road have signed 16 bilateral or multilateral
agreements on facilitation of transport, including the “Inter-
governmental Agreement of the SCO Member States on the
Facilitation of International Road Transport” and the “Inter-
governmental Agreement on International Road Transport
Along the Asian Highway Network,” adopted the measures
outlined in the “Greater Mekong Sub-region Cross-Border
Transport Facilitation Agreement,” and opened 356 inter-
national transport routes running through 73 land ports.

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 China has signed 38 bilateral or regional ocean shipment
agreements with 47 B&R countries, and bilateral intergov-
ernmental aviation transport agreements with 62 countries.
Direct civil flights now reach 43 countries. The Chinese
government has issued “Guidelines on the Implementation
of Promoting International Road Transport Facilitation in
the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative,” in an aim to
align the connectivity-related regulations and systems of
relevant countries for better “soft connectivity.”
– Promoting relevant projects. The construction of
the China-Laos Railway, the Hungary-Serbia Railway, the
China-Russia High-speed Railway, the Jakarta-Bandung
High-speed Railway in Indonesia, the Peshawar-Karachi
Motorway in Pakistan, KKH Phase-II (Thakot to Havel-
lian Section), the ports of Piraeus, Hambantota and Gwadar
and other symbolic projects are well under way. The Addis
Ababa-Djibouti Railway, the first transnational electri-
fied railway in Africa, has been completed and come into
service. With the reconstruction of the north-south TKU
(Taldykorgan-Kalbatau-Ust-Kamenogorsk) Highway in
Kazakhstan, the electrification of railways in Belarus, and
the railway tunnels built by Chinese enterprises in Uzbeki-
stan and Tajikistan, local transport capacity will be compre-

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 hensively improved. China will work with relevant coun-
tries to create a transport infrastructure network connecting
the sub-regions in Asia and linking Asia, Africa and Europe
as well, enhance connectivity, and boost the efficiency of
regional and sub-regional logistics transport.
– Connecting energy facilities. China is active in co-
operating with relevant countries to promote their energy
connectivity, build oil, gas and power infrastructure, main-
tain the safe operation of cross-border oil and gas pipelines,
and optimize the distribution of energy resources among
countries and regions. The China-Russia Oil Pipeline, and
China-Central Asia Gas Pipelines A/B/C are all operating
soundly, construction has started on the China-Central Asia
Gas Pipeline D and the east route of the China-Russia Gas
Pipeline, and eight of the 16 priority energy projects rolled
out in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor cooperation
plan have begun. China has maintained trade in electricity
with Russia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and other neighbors,
and concrete progress has been made in regional power co-
operation related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
and the Greater Mekong Sub-region, with improved mech-
anisms for cooperation. Chinese enterprises have joined
the exploitation of power resources and grid construction

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 and transformation in the B&R countries. For instance,
the 100MW Solar Power Project of Appolo Solar Devel-
opment Pakistan Limited at Quaid-E-Azam Solar Park in
Pakistan will become the largest single power project using
the photovoltaic technology in the world. The construction
of Datka-Kemin 500KV Transmission Line Project in Kyr-
gyzstan, the Houay Lamphan Gnai Hydropower Project in
Laos, and the Karot Hydropower Project in Pakistan will
all help alleviate local pressure on power supplies.
– Building an information network. The B&R coun-
tries will work to lay cross-border optical cables and build
a communications network so as to enhance international
telecommunications connectivity. By the end of 2016,
China was connected via submarine cables to America,
Northeast, Southeast and South Asia, Oceania, the Middle
East, North Africa and Europe, and via international land
cables with Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal and India, and
beyond that with Central and Southeast Asia and North Eu-
rope. Relevant Chinese government agencies have signed
“Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening the De-
velopment of Information Silk Road for Information Con-
nectivity” with their counterparts in Turkey, Poland and

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 Saudi Arabia, to increase cooperation in internet and infor-
mation technology, information economy and other fields.

(2) Enhancing economic and trade cooperation

China has maintained close economic and trade ties
with the B&R countries, which has greatly boosted the lo-
cal economies and industrial development. China attaches
importance to furthering such ties to bring benefits to all,
and building a more balanced, equal and sustainable trade
system.
– Cementing economic and trade ties. China and
the B&R countries continue to improve their trade scale
and structure, seeing a stable growth in goods trade and
breakthroughs in service trade. Against a backdrop of slug-
gish global trade, in 2016 China’s total trade volume with
the B&R countries reached US$947.8 billion, accounting
for 25.7 percent of its imports and exports of goods. The
volume of service imports and exports with these countries
stood at US$122.2 billion, accounting for 15.2 percent of
its total, up 3.4 percentage points from 2015. Driven by in-
dustrial transformation and upgrading, increasing domestic
demand, and upgrading of consumption, China’s huge mar-
ket offers plenty of economic and trade opportunities for

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 these countries.
– Building the B&R free trade zone network. China
is an advocate of more inclusive free trade, and has con-
ducted talks on trade agreements with the economies along
the Belt and Road. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area has
been upgraded, and the China-Georgia free trade talks have
been completed. Real progress has been achieved in the
talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partner-
ship, and breakthroughs have been made in the talks on the
China-Maldives Free Trade Area. Talks on the China-Gulf
Cooperation Council Free Trade Area, the China-Israel
Free Trade Area, the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Area,
and phase-II of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Area are
progressing. Joint research on the feasibility of the China-
Nepal Free Trade Area, the China-Bangladesh Free Trade
Area and the China-Moldova free trade agreement is mak-
ing progress as well.
– Facilitating trade. China and the B&R countries
will cooperate on their customs clearance systems, and re-
alize exchanges of information, mutual recognition of their
respective customs regulations, and mutual help in law
enforcement. “Single-window” trials have been launched
in international trade, and the introduction of integrated

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 procedures for customs clearance and inspection and
quarantine work has been stepped up, which will realize
“rapid clearance procedures for import and export.” Fast-
track customs clearance has been opened at Chinese ports
for farm produce imported from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan. Relevant countries and organizations along
the Belt and Road have released such documents as “Joint
Statement of Strengthening Cooperation on Animal and
Plant Quarantine, Facilitating Economic and Trade Devel-
opment” (Chongqing Joint Statement), “Joint Statement on
the Belt and Road Food Safety Cooperation,” and “Joint
Statement of the Fifth China-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting
on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.” China
has signed 78 documents on cooperation with B&R coun-
tries and regions, to promote their work and mechanism
alignment, technological standards coordination, mutual
recognition of inspection results, and networking of elec-
tronic certificates.

(3) Expanding production capacity and investment

cooperation
Cooperation in production capacity and equipment
manufacturing and mutual investment are two more prior-

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 ity areas of cooperation among the B&R countries. China
is a major world manufacturer, and highly competitive in
several industries. The Chinese government encourages
its strong industries to go global, invest in various ways in
the B&R countries, introduce their high technological and
environmental protection standards, and foster new growth
points for bilateral economic cooperation.
– Expanding cooperation consensus. By the end of
2016, China had signed production capacity cooperation
documents with Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and 25 other coun-
tries, published the “Joint Statement Between ASEAN and
China on Production Capacity Cooperation” with 10 ASEAN
member states, and the “Joint Statement on Production
Capacity Cooperation Among Lancang-Mekong Coun-
tries,” with five countries along this river, which would fa-
cilitate alignment and cooperation in their planning, policy,
information and project management. The China-Russia
Investment Cooperation Committee was set up under the
mechanism of regular meeting of premiers to coordinate
investment in non-energy industries. Based on their con-
sensus, China and its partners have conducted a number
of cooperation projects in raw materials, equipment manu-
facturing, light industry, clean energy, and environment-

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 friendly and high-tech industries, following the principles
of the market playing the major role and mutual benefits,
which have upgraded the industrial development of the host
countries and created jobs and tax revenues.
– Building platforms for cooperation. By the end
of 2016, China had set up in its border provinces and au-
tonomous regions seven pilot zones for development and
opening up, 17 border economic cooperation zones, and
two bilateral border economic cooperation zones. It had
conducted in-depth consultations with Nepal, Myanmar,
Mongolia, Vietnam and other neighbors in terms of bilat-
eral border economic cooperation zones, leading to posi-
tive progress. Chinese enterprises had invested US$18.5
billion in 56 economic and trade cooperation zones under
construction in 20 B&R countries, which are important
channels for investment cooperation and transplanting and
replicating China’s development experience. The China-
Belarus Industrial Park, the Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial
Zone and the Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Coopera-
tion Zone have become platforms of overseas cluster
investment of Chinese enterprises and symbol of friendly
cooperation. Drawing on their own strengths, some local au-
thorities in China have built B&R parks for economic and

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 trade cooperation to serve as modern international trade
platforms for European and Asian businesses and neigh-
boring countries as well.
– Facilitating investment. Both a destination country
for foreign investment and itself a major investor abroad,
China supports cross-border and trans-regional investment.
The government has continued to streamline administra-
tion, grant more access to foreign capital, and accelerate
the development of pilot free-trade zones, in an effort to
create a high-standard international business environment
and attract investors from around the world.
The B&R countries are important destination countries
for Chinese investment. In 2016, China invested US$14.5
billion in these countries, accounting for 8.5 percent of its
total investment abroad. It signed new overseas engineer-
ing contracts worth US$126 billion, up 36 percent year on
year. The process of talks on bilateral investment protection
treaties has been stepped up. By the end of 2016, China had
signed bilateral investment treaties with 53 B&R countries,
and established mechanisms for promoting economic and
trade and investment cooperation with most countries. It
had signed double taxation avoidance agreements with 54
B&R countries, so as to create a sound taxation and legal

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 environment to secure fair treatment in taxation and effec-
tive solution of disputes.

(4) Expanding financial cooperation

Further cooperation in finance, unimpeded currency
circulation, and stronger financing will create a stable fi-
nancial environment for the Belt and Road Initiative. This
will play a positive role in guiding various sources of
capital to engage in developing the real economy, in value
chain creation, and in promoting the healthy growth of
the global economy. China is already carrying out various
forms of financial cooperation with the B&R countries and
other interested parties. A network of financial institutions
and services is spreading out to support the Belt and Road
Initiative through innovative financing mechanisms.
– Facilitating the docking of financial cooperation
mechanisms. In the financial sector, China has close and
growing cooperation with ASEAN, Russia, Central Asia,
and the EU. To facilitate the coordination of financial poli-
cies, we have brought into play the strengths of such coop-
eration platforms as ASEAN+China, Japan, the ROK (10+3)
Framework, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting,

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 30 17/5/10 19:02

 the SCO Interbank Association, Executives’ Meeting of
East Asia Pacific Central Banks, the China-ASEAN Inter-
bank Association, and the Central Bank Governors’ Club of
Central Asia, Black Sea Region and the Balkan Countries.
Efforts have been made to promote the Chiang Mai Initia-
tive Multilateralization and establish a US$240 billion re-
gional foreign exchange reserve, so as to stabilize regional
finance. In January 2016 China officially joined the Euro-
pean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),
and has been strengthening cooperation with the bank
through high-level exchanges, joint financing, cooperation
on trade and investment, and policy coordination.
– Building new types of cooperation platform and
financing mechanism. On December 25, 2015, the China-
proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was
officially launched, with a legal capital of US$100 billion
and focusing on regional connectivity and industrial devel-
opment. By the end of 2016, the AIIB had provided US$
1.7 billion in loans to nine projects in fields such as energy,
transport, and urban development in Indonesia, Tajikistan,
Pakistan, and Bangladesh. China also injected US$40 bil-
lion in starting capital in the Silk Road Fund, with an initial
registered capital of US$10 billion, which finances the Belt

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 31 17/5/10 19:02

 and Road Initiative through equity stakes and other forms
of financing. By the end of 2016, the Fund had signed 15
projects, with an estimated investment value of US$6 bil-
lion. The projects cover such areas as infrastructure, energy
utilization, and production capacity and finance coopera-
tion in Russia, Mongolia, Central Asia, South Asia, and
Southeast Asia. The Fund also allocated US$2 billion to
start the China-Kazakhstan Production Capacity Coopera-
tion Fund. China proposed the China-CEE Joint Invest-
ment and Financing Framework, including a US$10 billion
special loan, the China-CEE Investment Cooperation Fund,
and other mechanisms to provide financing support to Cen-
tral and Eastern Europe. The Industrial and Commercial
Bank of China took the lead in founding China-CEE Finan-
cial Holdings Ltd., which launched the China-CEE Fund.
– Deeper cooperation between financial institutions
and financial markets. The Chinese government encour-
ages development and policy-based finance institutions to
take part in B&R financial cooperation activities. Since the
Initiative was proposed, the China Development Bank has
signed off more than100 projects in the B&R countries, to a
value surpassing US$40 billion, with US$30 billion issued
in loans. The Export-Import Bank of China has signed 1,100

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 projects, valued at US$100 billion, in the B&R countries,
issuing US$80 billion in loans. China Export & Credit In-
surance Corporation has insured more than US$320 billion
of export and investment projects in the B&R countries. By
the end of 2016, nine Chinese-funded banks had set up 62
primary branches in 26 B&R countries, and 54 banks from
20 B&R countries had opened six subsidiaries, 20 branch-
es, and 40 offices in China. In January 2017, China Finan-
cial Futures Exchange and its Pakistani partners bought a
30 percent of stake in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Shang-
hai Gold Exchange signed an agreement with Dubai Gold
& Commodities Exchange to launch Shanghai gold futures
in the international financial market for the first time.
– Expanding the scale of currency swaps and cross-
border settlements. China has signed currency swap
agreements with 22 B&R countries and regions, with a
total value of RMB982.2 billion. Local currency settle-
ment agreements were signed between China and Viet-
nam, Mongolia, Laos, and Kyrgyzstan in border trade, and
agreements on general trade and local currency settlement
in investment were signed between China and Russia, Ka-
zakhstan, Belarus, and Nepal. Of the 23 Renminbi clear-
ing banks, six are located along the B&R routes. Through

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 China’s interbank foreign exchange market, the Renminbi
can be traded directly with 21 currencies other than the U.S.
dollar. The Cross-border Interbank Payment System pro-
vides Renminbi services to domestic and foreign financial
institutions.
– Strengthening cooperation in financial supervision.
China promotes memorandums of understanding to support
cooperation on financial supervision, in an effort to estab-
lish an efficient supervision and coordination mechanism in
the region, improve the framework of financial crisis man-
agement and response, and enhance the capacity of jointly
addressing financial risks. By the end of 2016, the People’s
Bank of China has signed MOUs with 42 overseas anti-
money laundering institutions; the China Banking Regula-
tory Commission has signed MOUs or exchanged notes on
cooperation with the financial regulators in 29 B&R coun-
tries; and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission is
negotiating the signing of MOUs with B&R countries, and
has founded the Asian Forum of Insurance Regulators.

(5) Strengthening cooperation on ecological and

environmental protection
China is committed to building a green Silk Road. It

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 applies a green development philosophy to B&R coopera-
tion activities, shares China’s newest ideas, technologies,
and practices in the areas of ecological progress, envi-
ronmental protection, pollution prevention and control,
ecological restoration, and circular economy, and actively
fulfills its responsibilities on critical issues such as climate
change.
– Building cooperation platforms. China strives to
build a cooperation platform featuring a green Silk Road. It
has organized activities such as the China-Arab Forum on
Environmental Cooperation and the Forum on China-ASEAN
Environmental Cooperation, and founded the China-
ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center. China signed
the “Memorandum of Understanding between the United
Nations Environment Programme and Ministry of Envi-
ronmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China on
Building a Green ‘Belt and Road’.” China has established
bodies such as the Center for B&R Environmental Tech-
nology Exchange and Transfer, to promote international
exchange and application of advanced technologies in en-
vironmental protection.
– Promoting cooperation on water conservancy. The
Chinese government proactively promotes policy coordina-

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 35 17/5/10 19:02

 tion, technology sharing and engineering cooperation with
neighboring countries in the protection and development
of cross-border rivers. It has launched joint studies with
the countries concerned on the protection and use of water
resources of cross-border rivers, in order to better protect
these resources. China encourages the sharing of hydrologi-
cal data during the flood season, and has established a Sino-
Russian mechanism for cooperation in flood prevention and
control. The Cooperation between China and Kazakhstan
on the Construction of You Yi (Dostyk) Joint Hydro Unit
and the Glacial Lake Mud Flow Prevention Project on the
Khorgos River is moving forward smoothly. The first stage
was completed for the Moragahakanda Development Proj-
ect, the largest water conservancy works in Sri Lanka, with
loans from China. In addition to irrigation, it will provide
drinking water for several million people.
– Strengthening cooperation in protecting forests
and wildlife. China has signed 35 forestry cooperation
agreements with the B&R countries, and founded the China-
ASEAN and China-CEE forestry cooperation mecha-
nisms, in an effort to promote the sustainable development
of forestry and protect forest resources. It organized the
Ministerial-level Meeting on Forestry in Greater Central

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 Asia, the China-ASEAN Forestry Cooperation Forum,
and the China-Russia Forestry Investment Policy Forum,
and published “The One Belt and One Road Joint Action
to Combating Desertification Initiative.” In building the
China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, China has
been working vigorously to raise awareness of green de-
velopment. It is cooperating with Russia on the protection
and use of forest resources, the prevention of fires in border
areas, and the protection of migratory birds; with Mongolia
on the protection of wildlife, and the prevention and con-
trol of desertification; with Egypt, Israel, Iran, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Nepal, Laos, and Myanmar on the prevention and
control of desertification, sustainable use of forestry, wild-
life protection, sustainable management of the ecological
system, and wetland protection, and on addressing climate
change regarding forestry.
– Promoting green investment and financing. The
Chinese government has issued “The Guidance on Promot-
ing Green Belt and Road,” to promote ecological progress
in the cooperation with foreign countries. China has put in
place an ecological protection system for the Belt and Road
Initiative, and developed policies and guidelines for green
industrial development, thus providing an institutional

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 guarantee for the Green Silk Road. It is also applying the
concept of green financing in building the Belt and Road,
by publishing the “Guidelines for Establishing the Green
Financial System,” in order to direct capital towards envi-
ronmentally friendly industries.
– Addressing climate change. China is actively con-
tributing its wisdom and plans to global climate gover-
nance. It has worked with other participating countries in
the final signing of the Paris Agreement, making an impor-
tant contribution to the early entry into force of this Agree-
ment. It actively promotes South-South cooperation in
addressing climate change, by providing energy-efficient,
low-carbon and renewable energy materials to the B&R
countries, launching cooperation projects on solar energy,
wind energy, methane gas, hydroelectric power, and clean
cooking stoves, organizing dialogues and exchanges on
energy efficiency, energy saving and environmental protec-
tion, and offering training to address climate change.

(6) Promoting orderly maritime cooperation

The building of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road
relies on maritime cooperation – the development of mari-
time trade, economy and connectivity, the building of a

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 number of ports, and the maintenance of a safe and smooth
sea passage. At the same time, China has conducted co-
operation with countries along the Belt and Road in other
fields including marine science and technology, marine
ecological environment protection, marine disaster preven-
tion and reduction, and safety in marine law enforcement.
– Cooperation on connectivity. Following the prin-
ciples of openness, transparency, and mutual benefit, China
has used its own experience and strengths to build key ports
with countries concerned, and help them develop port-cen-
tered industries and their hinterland economy. The Chinese
enterprises have overcome many challenges to restore and
improve Gwadar Port’s production capacities, built sup-
porting facilities, carried out programs for the public good,
and improved local people’s lives. The construction of Sri
Lanka’s Port of Hambantota undertaken by China is mak-
ing smooth progress. The port will boost the economy and
create employment in southern Sri Lanka. Ningbo Shipping
Exchange has published “Shipping Index for Maritime
Silk Road” to serve the shipping economy along the 21st-
Century Maritime Silk Road.
– Cooperation on the marine economy. We are
speeding up the construction of the Malacca Seafront In-

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 dustrial Park, and making headway in the comprehensive
development of Kyaukpyu Port in Myanmar, which inte-
grates the port, city and industrial parks. We are working
with the Netherlands to develop offshore wind power and
are carrying out sea water desalination projects with Indo-
nesia, Kazakhstan and Iran. We are cooperating with coun-
tries concerned in the development of marine oil and gas,
as well as fisheries, with financial support from the China-
ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund for some of the pro-
grams.
– Cooperation on maritime law enforcement safety.
China and ASEAN approved the “Guidelines for a Senior
Diplomats’ Hotline for Maritime Emergencies,” and in-
creased cooperation and mutual trust on maritime affairs.
China Coast Guard has signed Memorandums of Under-
standing and Cooperation with the Vietnam Coast Guard
Headquarters and the Philippine Coast Guard, has estab-
lished law enforcement safety mechanisms such as joint
committee of coast guards on maritime cooperation. China
has enhanced dialogue with Indian, Bangladeshi and Myan-
mar coast guards, and carried out institutionalized coopera-
tion with Pakistan Maritime Security Agency in combating
maritime crime and safeguarding the 21st-Century Mari-

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 time Silk Road.
– Building cooperation mechanisms. China has built
marine cooperation mechanisms with countries such as
Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, India and Pakistan. It has
actively participated in the China-Thailand Joint Lab on
Climate and Marine Eco-system, the China-Pakistan Joint
Marine Scientific Research Center and the China-Malaysia
Joint Marine Scientific Research Center, to strengthen
cooperation in fields including observation and study of
marine and climate change, environmental protection for
ocean and coastal zones, development and utilization of
marine resources, conservation and restoration of typical
marine eco-system, and protection of endangered marine
animals. China has participated in founding the Secre-
tariat for China and Central and Eastern European Coun-
tries Shipping Cooperation, and set up the International
Maritime Organization’s Maritime Technology Coopera-
tion Center in China. It has also participated in building
the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Mechanism,
China-Southeast Asian Countries Forum on Marine Coop-
eration, East Asian Marine Cooperation Platform, ASEAN-
China Maritime Consultation Mechanism, ASEAN-China
Port Development and Cooperation Forum, China-ASEAN

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 Forum on Marine Science and Technology Cooperation,
China-ASEAN Marine Cooperation Center and China-
Malaysia Port Alliance, and prepares to build such sub-
regional cooperation platforms as Lancang-Mekong Water
Resources Cooperation Center and Law Enforcement Safe-
ty Cooperation Center.

(7) Strengthening cooperation and exchanges in cul-

tural, social and other fields
The Belt and Road, which would have been impossible
without the concerted efforts of people from all participat-
ing countries, will bring opportunities for trade, tourism,
cultural and educational exchanges, and ensure friendly re-
lationships between the countries. China supports cultural
exchanges and cooperation in various fields and at different
levels, and dedicates itself to a community of peace and de-
velopment, where people from different cultures learn from
each other, blend with each other, understand each other,
and appreciate each other’s qualities.
– Educational and cultural cooperation. China fol-
lows the “Education Action Plan for Jointly Building the
Belt and Road,” and has provided government scholarships
for 10,000 students from countries along the Belt and Road

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 each year. Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative,
China has held 20 cultural exchange events – for example
“Cultural Years” – with countries along the Belt and Road,
and signed 43 action plans on cultural exchanges or other
intergovernmental cooperation agreements. By the end of
2016, China had built 30 Chinese culture centers and set up
Confucius Institutes in countries along the Belt and Road.
China has held important events such as the Silk Road
(Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, Silk Road Inter-
national Arts Festival and Maritime Silk Road International
Arts Festival. China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan jointly
applied and succeeded in listing “Silk Roads: the Routes
Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor” on UNESCO’s
World Cultural Heritage. In foreign aid, China has restored
cultural sites such as Ta Keo Temple of Angkor, Cambo-
dia, Itchan Kala, the Ancient City of Khiva, Khorazm in
Uzbekistan, and provided aid for post-quake restoration of
cultural relics in Nepal and Myanmar. It has also applied
to have the Maritime Silk Road listed as an item of World
Cultural Heritage, and promoted the Mazu marine culture.
– Cooperation on science and technology. The Chinese
government has signed 46 intergovernmental agreements
on scientific and technological cooperation with countries

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 along the Belt and Road, covering various fields such as
agriculture, life science, information technology, envi-
ronmental protection, new energy, aerospace, policies for
scientific and technological development, and innovation
management. China has built platforms to boost innovation
cooperation, including joint laboratories, international tech-
nology transfer centers, and science parks. With the aim of
facilitating the building of the Belt and Road with science
and technology, China has built China-ASEAN Mariculture
Technology Joint Research and Promotion Center, China-
South Asia Technology Transfer Center, and China-Arab
Nations Technology Transfer Center. The country has also
improved the mechanism for scientific, technological and
cultural exchanges. In 2016 alone, more than 100 research-
ers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mongolia,
Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt and Syria conducted sci-
entific research in China through the Talented Young Scien-
tist Program.
– Cooperation on tourism. To scale up tourist coop-
eration China is holding Tourist Year events with countries
along the Belt and Road, and conducting tourist promo-
tion and exchanges. By holding events such as the World
Conference on the Development of Tourism, the Tourism

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 Ministerial Meeting of Countries Along the Silk Road
Economic Belt, the China-South Asian Countries Tourism
Ministerial Meeting, the China-Russia-Mongolia Tourism
Ministerial Meeting, and the China-ASEAN Senior Tour-
ist Officials’ Meeting, China and the related countries have
formed a tourist cooperation mechanism under the Belt and
Road Initiative at different levels and in different regions.
To promote tourist brands, China has held the Silk Road
Tourism Year for the last three years, founded the China Al-
liance for Silk Road Tourism Promotion, the Maritime Silk
Road Tourism Promotion Alliance, and the China-Russia-
Mongolia “Tea Road” International Tourism Alliance. Co-
operation on sports is also booming.
– Cooperation on health care. Under the Belt and
Road Initiative, China attaches importance to promoting
cooperation among the related countries in the prevention
and control of contagious diseases, medical system and
policies, health care capacity building, personnel train-
ing and exchange, and traditional medicine. China and the
related countries have published the “China-Central and
Eastern European (CEE) Countries Prague Declaration on
Health Cooperation and Development,” the “Suzhou Joint
Communiqué on the Second Health Ministers Meeting

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 between China and CEEC,” and the “Nanning Declaration
on China-ASEAN Health Cooperation and Development,”
and implemented 41 programs including the China-Africa
Cooperation Plan on Public Health, and the China-ASEAN
Plan on Training One Hundred Health Professionals. China
has promoted exchanges and cooperation on traditional
medicine with countries along the Belt and Road, founded
16 overseas Traditional Chinese Medicine centers includ-
ing one in Czech Republic, and signed Chinese medicine
cooperation agreements with 15 countries. The Chinese
government signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on
Health Sector Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initia-
tive” with the World Health Organization, so as to build a
healthy Silk Road. China has also set up a Medical Center
for the Silk Road Economic Belt in Xinjiang Uygur Auton-
omous Region to provide medical services to surrounding
countries in Central Asia.
– Disaster relief, aid and poverty reduction. China
has participated in humanitarian operations organized by
the UN, the WHO and other organizations in Syria, and
over the years has dispatched medical teams to provide aid
to its surrounding countries and countries in Africa. It has
actively participated in international disaster prevention and

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 relief actions, sent the national rescue team and medical
team to provide earthquake relief in Nepal, and provided
emergency relief aid to countries including Maldives, the
Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu, and Fiji. It has
provided emergency food assistance to drought-stricken Af-
rican countries influenced by El Nino, replenished water for
the Mekong River as part of emergency drought relief for
countries along the river, and provided technical support for
flood prevention to countries such as Thailand and Myan-
mar. China has also carried out programs such as China-
Africa Cooperation Plan for Poverty Reduction and People’s
Benefit, East Asia Poverty Reduction Pilot to provide aid in
the fields of poverty reduction, agriculture, education, health
care and environmental protection. China’s social organiza-
tions have played an active role in various undertakings to
improve the lives of populations along the Belt and Road,
and carried out many public welfare programs.
– People-to-people exchanges. China has concluded
reciprocal visa-free agreements with 55 countries along the
Belt and Road, including Pakistan, Russia, the Philippines
and Serbia, and concluded 19 agreements (or made ar-
rangements) on simplifying visa procedures with 15 coun-
tries including Kazakhstan, Czech Republic and Nepal.

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 Twenty-two countries such as the United Arab Emirates,
Iran and Thailand have provided Chinese citizens with the
privilege of visa-free entry or visa on arrival.

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 IV. Diverse Cooperative
Mechanisms

Policy communication is of crucial importance to the

Belt and Road Initiative. Cooperative mechanisms are ef-
fective channels for facilitating policy communication. China
has worked together with other countries along the Belt
and Road to establish multi-level mechanisms to strengthen
policy communication and coordination and enhance politi-
cal mutual trust, paving the way for further cooperation.

(1) State-level support and promotion

High-level visits between B&R countries have pro-
vided a strong political driving force for the initiative.
Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward in 2013,
President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other senior
leaders have paid visits to many B&R countries in Central
Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central and Eastern
Europe, with a focus on advancing the initiative. Their ef-

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 49 17/5/10 19:02

 forts have been warmly welcomed by relevant countries
and international organizations, significantly contributing
to building consensus on cooperation, reaching agreements,
implementing key projects, and expanding exchanges and
cooperation in all relevant fields.

(2) Coordination of development strategies

China is committed to maximizing win-win coopera-
tion by pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative and
seeking the optimal combination of the initiative with the
development strategies of other B&R countries. Kazakh-
stan’s Bright Road economy policy, Saudi Arabia’s oil and
gas program for its western region, Mongolia’s Prairie
Road program, the EU’s Investment Plan for Europe, ASE-
AN’s Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, Poland’s
Responsible Development Strategy, Indonesia’s Global
Maritime Fulcrum Strategy, Turkey’s Middle Corridor
Initiative, Serbia’s Reindustrialization Strategy, APEC’s
Connectivity Blueprint for 2015-2025, the Asia-Europe
Connectivity Initiative, and the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, are all complementary to
China’s Belt and Road Initiative. China welcomes coopera-
tion with related countries and international organizations

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 50 17/5/10 19:02

 in implementing these strategies.

(3) Bilateral and multilateral mechanisms

China has established sound cooperative mechanisms
with other B&R countries on the basis of mutual respect
and trust. Bilateral dialogue is the main channel for policy
communication. The role of bilateral mechanisms is con-
tinuously reinforced to enhance connectivity, trade and
investment, production capacity cooperation, cultural ex-
changes, and other key fields of the Belt and Road Initia-
tive. The Chinese government will establish cooperation
development centers oriented toward individual countries
to expedite the implementation of B&R agreements signed
with these countries. China also attaches great importance
to maintaining and improving the roles of multilateral
mechanisms and carries out dialogue through multilateral
platforms, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
summit, Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building
Measures in Asia summit, Forum on China-Africa Coop-
eration, China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Develop-
ment and Cooperation Forum, Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic
Cooperation Forum, and Communist Party of China in Dia-
logue with the World. Furthermore, China holds the China-

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 ASEAN Expo, China-Eurasia Expo, China-Arab States
Expo, China-South Asia Expo, China-CEEC Investment
and Trade Expo and other large international expositions,
giving play to the role of economic and trade cooperation
as a bridge between countries. In addition, China improves
the diplomatic coordination mechanism through consular
consultation to facilitate personnel exchanges and ensure
their security among B&R countries.

(4) Non-governmental exchanges and cooperation

China and other B&R countries have conducted ex-
changes and cooperation in diverse forms between politi-
cal parties, parliaments and localities as well as NGOs to
enhance mutual understanding between peoples of different
countries and build extensive consensus on B&R coopera-
tion. China has worked to strengthen think tank exchanges
and cooperation and initiated the International Silk Road
Think Tank Association. The Chinese government set up
the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development
at the highly-reputed Peking University as a platform for
developing countries to share governance experience and
train high-level government officials. The Development Re-
search Center of the State Council and relevant think tanks

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 of other B&R countries launched the Silk Road Think Tank
Network, an international network for think tank coopera-
tion. Media cooperation has been expanded through media
forum and exchange of visits, in such forms as sharing of
reports, joint interviews, cooperative filming, and training
programs. Moreover, China has promoted exchanges on is-
sues concerning women, youth, start-ups and employment
as well as ideas and experience regarding social justice and
progress. Non-governmental exchanges and cooperation
activities in various fields are complementary to govern-
mental cooperation, and building up public support for the
Belt and Road Initiative.

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 V. A Future Vision Based
on Reality

The Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at sharing with

the world opportunities brought by China’s development.
China welcomes all countries to board its express train of
development, where they can achieve common develop-
ment through win-win cooperation.
We shall join our hands to create a brighter future for
all countries as the common interests of humanity are fun-
damental to every nation and country and depend on the
development of a community of shared future. It is a com-
munity based on equality and mutual respect and aimed at
building a world where all countries participate in regional
and international affairs on an equal footing. It is a commu-
nity pursuing peace on the basis of common, comprehen-
sive, cooperative and sustainable security and striving for a
world where all countries respect each other’s core interests
and resolve disputes peacefully. It is a community pursuing

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 win-win cooperation and common development toward a
world featuring open development and inclusive growth. It
is a community of advanced cultural progress toward an in-
clusive and diverse world where all civilizations draw upon
each other through exchanges. It is a community pursuing
eco-environmental protection and resource efficiency, and
an environment-friendly world featuring low carbon emis-
sions and eternal beauty.
The Belt and Road Initiative gives new impetus to
the building of a community of shared future for human-
ity. The Eurasia Continent is one of the major engines of
global economic growth as well as the main region of the
Belt and Road Initiative. A high level of connectivity and
reinforced pragmatic cooperation on the Eurasia Continent
and surrounding oceans will enable all civilizations in the
region to further tap the enormous potential of this region,
increase the exchange of ideas and mutual learning, and
work together to achieve diverse, independent, balanced
and sustainable development. The Belt and Road Initiative
is open to any country or international organization that has
an interest, and all forms of participation and cooperation
are welcomed to bring about benefits to more regions and
peoples.

55

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 – Africa is a key partner in building the Belt and
Road. China and Africa have a deep traditional friendship
and close bilateral and multilateral relations. Some parts of
Africa used to be key hubs along the Maritime Silk Road,
which promoted the economic growth, social stability and
cultural progress of those areas. China has made longtime
contribution to Africa’s economic and social development
by taking the fundamental interests of African countries
as its starting point. The Belt and Road Initiative opens up
wider opportunities for win-win cooperation between China
and Africa and brings the Eurasia Continent into closer
cooperation with Africa for common development.
– China welcomes the participation of Latin Amer-
ica and the Caribbean in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Latin America and the Caribbean are important emerging
markets as well as major trade partners of China. China
is committed to coordinating development strategies with
countries in these regions, and advancing pragmatic coop-
eration with them in all fields and expanding common in-
terests based on the B&R ideas, principles and approaches.
– Oceania is the southward extension of the 21st-
Century Maritime Silk Road. The governments of China
and New Zealand have signed a memorandum of arrange-

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2017一带一路-英文140x210.indd 56 17/5/10 19:02

 ment on strengthening cooperation on the Belt and Road
Initiative. Pacific island developing countries have respond-
ed positively to the initiative on the 21st-Century Maritime
Silk Road, which creates new opportunities for accelerating
their own development and tapping the tremendous poten-
tial for South-South cooperation with China.
– Third party cooperation is an important compo-
nent of the Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative is an
open, transparent channel for cooperation. China welcomes
the participation of developed countries as third parties in
win-win cooperation in countries along the Belt and Road.
All can play their complementary roles in technology, capi-
tal, production capacity and markets, based on the principle
of achieving shared growth through discussion and collabo-
ration and applying the law of the market.

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 Conclusion

China, the initiator of Belt and Road Initiative, has put

the initiative into responsible practice. Over the past three
years, the Belt and Road Initiative has grown from an em-
bryonic proposal into a network. A cooperation pattern of
shared growth through discussion and collaboration has
taken shape.
The world is going through a period of complex and
profound change and the global economy is slowly recov-
ering, while continuing to undergo far-reaching adjust-
ments. All countries are faced with serious development
issues. History, especially the two world wars in the 20th
century, has taught us that today’s world needs connectiv-
ity more than at any time in the past. All countries need to
form a closer community to create a shared future-oriented
development pattern, maintain the open global economy,
and explore new sources for growth.
China welcomes the constructive participation of all

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 countries and international and regional organizations in
jointly building the Belt and Road and in enriching the
ideas and practice of the Belt and Road Initiative. China is
committed to working together with other countries to fos-
ter the environment-friendly and sound development of the
Belt and Road, featuring peace and the exchange of wis-
dom, and to build a global economy that is more vibrant,
open, inclusive, stable, and sustainable.

59

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 图书在版编目(CIP)数据
共建“一带一路”: 理念、实践与中国的贡献 : 英文 / 推进
“一带一路”建设工作领导小组办公室编著. — 北京 : 外文出版社, 2017
ISBN 978-7-119-10810-0
I. ①共… II. ①推… III. ①“一带一路”－国际合作－研究－英文
IV. ①F125
中国版本图书馆CIP数据核字(2017)第082457号

共建“一带一路”:
理念、实践与中国的贡献
推进“一带一路”建设工作领导小组办公室
*
外文出版社有限责任公司出版
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