By STANSLOUS NGOSA –
MORE than 2000 years ago, people of Eurasia explored and opened up several routes of trade and cultural exchanges that linked the major civilisations of Asia, Europe and Africa, collectively called the Silk Road by later generations.
For thousands of years, the Silk Road Spirit, “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit” has been passed from one generation to another.
It promoted the progress of human civilisation, and contributed greatly to the prosperity and development of the countries along the Silk Road.
Symbolising communication and cooperation between the East and the West, the Silk Road Spirit is a historic and cultural heritage shared by all countries around the world.
In the 21st century, a new era marked by the theme of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, it is important to carry on the Silk Road Spirit in face of the weak recovery of the global economy, and complex international and regional situations.
According to the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013, he raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road which is now referred to as the Belt and Road.
This initiative has attracted close attention from all over the world.
At the China-ASEAN Expo in 2013, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang emphasised the need to build the Maritime Silk Road oriented towards ASEAN, and to create strategic propellers for hinterland development.
Accelerating the building of the Belt and Road can help promote the economic prosperity of the countries along the Belt and Road and regional economic cooperation, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations, and promote world peace and development.
It is a great undertaking believed to benefit people around the world.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a systematic project, which would be jointly built through consultation to meet the interests of all, and efforts would be made to integrate the development strategies of the countries along the Belt and Road.
The Chinese government has drafted and published the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road to promote the implementation of the Initiative, instill vigour and vitality into the ancient Silk Road, connect Asian, European and African countries more closely and promote mutually beneficial cooperation to a new high and in new forms.
The Initiative follows market operation.
It will abide by market rules and international norms, give play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and the primary role of enterprises, and let the governments perform their due functions.
The Initiative seeks mutual benefit and accommodates the interests and concerns of all parties involved, and seek a conjunction of interests and the “biggest common denominator” for cooperation so as to give full play to the wisdom and creativity, strengths and potentials of all parties.
The Belt and Road runs through the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and developed European economic circle at the other, and encompassing countries with huge potential for economic development.
The Silk Road Economic Belt focuses on bringing together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and West Asia; and connecting China with Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean.
The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road is designed to go from China’s coast to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in one route, and from China’s coast through the South China Sea to the South Pacific in the other.
On land, the Initiative will focus on jointly building a new Eurasian Land Bridge and developing China-Mongolia-Russia, China-Central Asia-West Asia and China-Indochina Peninsula economic corridors by taking advantage of international transport routes, relying on core cities along the Belt and Road and using key economic industrial parks as cooperation platforms.
At sea, the Initiative will focus on jointly building smooth, secure and efficient transport routes connecting major sea ports along the Belt and Road.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor are closely related to the Belt and Road Initiative, and therefore require closer cooperation and greater progress.
The Initiative is an ambitious economic vision of the opening-up of and cooperation among the countries along the Belt and Road. Countries should work in concert and move towards the objectives of mutual benefit and common security.
To be specific, they need to improve the region’s infrastructure, and put in place a secure and efficient network of land, sea and air passages, lifting their connectivity to a higher level.
The initiative seek to encourage different civilizations to learn from each other and flourish together; and promote mutual understanding, peace and friendship among people of all countries.
Silk road
economic belt
Essentially, the ‘belt’ includes countries situated on the original Silk Road through Central Asia, West Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The initiative calls for the integration of the region into a cohesive economic area through building infrastructure, increasing cultural exchanges, and broadening trade.
Apart from this zone, which is largely analogous to the historical Silk Road, another area that is said to be included in the extension of this ‘belt’ is South Asia and Southeast Asia. Many of the countries that are part of this ‘belt’ are also members of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Maritime
silk road
The Maritime Silk Road, also known as the “21st Century Maritime Silk Route Economic Belt”  is a complementary initiative aimed at investing and fostering collaboration in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and North Africa, through several contiguous bodies of water – the South China Sea, the South Pacific Ocean, and the wider Indian Ocean area.
The Maritime Silk Road initiative was first proposed by Mr Xi during a speech to the Indonesian Parliament in October 2013 like its sister initiative the Silk Road Economic Belt, most countries in this area have joined the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
East Africa
This region of Africa, Kenya in particular, would form part of the MSR after improvement of local ports and construction of a modern standard-gauge rail link between Nairobi and Mombasa.
Closely related networks
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor are officially classified as “closely related to the Belt and Road Initiative”.
In coverage by the media, this distinction is disregarded and the networks are counted as components of the initiative.
The initiative has attracted close attention from all over the world.
Inspired by this vision, the People’s Daily hosted the 2015 Media Cooperation Forum on “One Belt and One Road”, with the theme “Common Destiny and New Patterns of Cooperation”.
The forum aimed at deepening the media cooperation among the “Belt and Road” countries to facilitate the construction of the “One Belt and One Road”.
The forum invited more than 160 foreign guests from 60 countries and international organizations as well as 122 mainstream media.
It was an international media forum with the largest scale, most participating countries and foreign media organisations which has been held by the Chinese media in recent years.
Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Head International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Vice Chairperson Wang Jiarui said accelerating the building of the Belt and Road would help promote the economic prosperity of the countries along the Belt and Road and regional economic cooperation.
Mr Wang said the initiative is expected to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning between different civilisations, and promote world peace and development.
“It is a great undertaking that will benefit people around the world,” Mr Wang said during the opening session of 2015 Media Cooperation Forum on One Belt One Road held in Beijing China
Mr Wang said the initiative would not seek to influence, for instance power change, but common energies to promote the connectivity of Asian, European and African continents.
He said the One Belt One Road strategy would like see countries harvesting common fruits, more capital resources and inclusiveness.
According to People’s Daily Director General, International News Department Lu Yanson, who was the one of the moderators at 2015 media Cooperation Forum on One Belt One Road, said the Belt and Road Initiative is a way for win-win cooperation that promotes common development and prosperity.
Mr Lu said the initiative is a road towards peace and friendship by enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and strengthening all-round exchanges.
The Chinese government advocates peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.
“So the initiative promotes practical cooperation in all fields, and works to build a community of shared interests, destiny and responsibility featuring mutual political trust, economic integration and cultural inclusiveness,” Mr Lu said
People’s Daily President Yang Zhenwu, who echoed similar sentiments, added that the initiative would see increased foreign direct investment, new markets and trade.
Mr Yang urged the media to promote the initiative because of the huge benefits attached to it.
“It is the responsibility of the media to ensure that the initiative succeeds, moreover the prospects of the initiative has demonstrated that it will accelerate the new way of development,” Mr Yang said
But Antara News Agency Chief Executive Officer Saiful Hadi raised security issues that need to be addressed during the implementation of the initiative.
“Security, terrorism, extremism and separatism issues needs to be addressed, I would propose that the initiative be called One Belt, One Road and One Security, otherwise the initiative is good,” Mr Hadi said
Mr Hadi said there is need to create joint security mechanisms for the smooth successful of the initiative.
Al-Goumhouria Director Editor Abdelmonem Fawzi said during the panel discussion on connectivity: New demands and new vision during the forum that people to people bond underpins the building of Belt and Road.
Mr Fawzi said the media should, however, contribute to increasing the understanding and exchanges among people in different countries, promoting the mutual learning and common prosperity of different culture.
“Thus winning public support for deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” Mr Fawzi said
He, however, said more countries should be invited to participate in the One Belt One Road initiative because of massive benefits they stand to benefit.
Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road Initiative is a common aspiration of all countries along their routes.
China is ready to conduct equal-footed consultation with all countries along the Belt and Road to seize the opportunity provided by the Initiative, promote opening-up, communication and integration among countries in a larger scope, with higher standards and at deeper levels, while giving consideration to the interests and aspirations of all parties.
The development of the Belt and Road is open and inclusive, and China welcomes the active participation of all countries and international and regional organisations in this Initiative.